Cornish Storm Watcher

People who live in Cornwall are a resilient bunch, used to a bit of heavy weather and the odd gale. We will doubtless have to foot the repair bill, currently estimated at £21 million, via council tax rises, so it was encouraging to see an international windsurfing competition, the Red Bull Storm Chase decide to run their grand final of this year's event slap bang in the middle of the biggest storms for decades, Winter Storm Charlie. Bringing with them hundreds of spectators and tourists and TV crews during the off season, broadcasting the beauty of a Cornish Storm to the rest of the world.   Jumping for joy Checking the beach at Godrevy about 8am, there were some heavy head-plus size waves coming in. By nine am, the storm had fully arrived with waves hitting twenty to thirty feet. I saw the first two sailors to go out try and ride over the mountainous broken waves that were headed shoreward, but they were just crumpled under the weight of whitewater. Rumbling rivers of ...

As ever in winter, there are storms in Cornwall. Named, un-named, followed by the national media or passing virtually unnoticed, they are a fact of life at this time of year. Yesterday was quite spectacular on the coast, but lacking any notification by news media, social media or verbal media, there were only a few people out to see it. A lone sea bird defying the Rule of Thirds  Are these waves literally wasting their energy against granite and sand if no one is there to record it? The 'Monkey Hut' at the end of Portreath pier has gone, what will the sea take next? At Porthtowan, Christmas has come early - ex-Christmas trees have been planted to help slow down beach erosion.  The lorry is tipping sand which had blown across the road during the previous storm. Porthtowan  Godrevy Island - no stranger to waves during a Cornish storm Godrevy Lighthouse  There's another big blow coming in on Saturday - will you be there to record it?