Drivers face Bank Holiday headache as their cars get stranded underwater in flood-hit beauty spots after high tides
Drivers have been hit by a Bank Holiday headache after their cars got carried into the sea at a Norfolk beauty spot after a spate of bad weather.
At least six vehicles were left too close to the water's edge at picturesque Burnham Overy Staithe on Sunday, causing them to be submerged by the rapidly rising tide.
A combination of the monthly Spring Tide, which comes around the time of the new moon, and high wind gusts meant water levels quickly began to lap up around the cars.
While most visitors to the site got down to their vehicles in time to rescue them from a damp fate, two cars became stranded underwater and sailed out into the sea.
At least one was later retrieved but it is believed the vehicle's engine was flooded.
And they caused extra chaos as their untimely voyage coincided with a series of special Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) sailing races scheduled for the Bank Holiday weekend at nearby Brancaster Staithe.
Most locals are aware of the dramatically shifting tides but some tourists mistakenly leave their cars too close to the sea as they head out to nearby scenic spots for a stroll or a pint at the pub.
This leaves their vehicles at the mercy of the natural phenomenon, which was exacerbated by recent inclement weather.
Two cars pictured in the sea at the beauty spot following a rising tide exacerbated by high winds
It is thought that the high winds over the weekend caused an extra rise in the water level of around 40cm.
More gusts are expected on Monday night, likely leading to higher tides leaving cars parked too far down the beach at risk.
The RNLI has been approached for comment.
Last week, southern England was hit by heavy rain following the driest start to spring in nearly six decades.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said it was 'not out of the question that we could see a funnel cloud, maybe even a brief tornado' across parts of the south east of England.
The Environment Agency (EA) previously warned of the risk of drought this summer without sustained rainfall, with millions of households told they may face restrictions on water use in the coming months.
As of May 16, 80.6mm of rain had been recorded for the UK this spring, nearly 20mm less than the record low for the full season of 100.7mm set in 1852.
Despite the wet weather, this Spring is on course to be the driest season of any on record, professor Ed Hawkins, the UK's principal research scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science has said.
The lack of rain is expected to mean that this March, April, and May could be the first with less than 100mm on records that date back 189 years.
The previous record for the driest season in the UK was in Spring 1852 which had just 100.7mm of rain.
Seaside areas of Norfolk are often at risk of floods and in October swathes of the region were affected by heavy rainfall which hit East Anglia.
Last year the EA confirmed that a seven-mile stretch of beach between Hunstanton and Snettisham in West Norfolk, just 12 miles from Burnham Overy Staithe, had reached a 'trigger point' of coastal erosion leaving it susceptible to flooding.
In 2023, the EA threatened enforcement action against anyone caught interfering with the shingle in the area.
A spokesperson said: 'It is important that property owners refrain from digging into the ridge at all and that they approach the Environment Agency if they wish to undertake works within 16m of it.
'This will help preserve the integrity of the ridge and its ability to perform as a natural flood defence.'
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