Some South West festive swims cancelled due to wind warning
Organizers of some Christmas and Boxing Day swimming events in Devon and Cornwall have postponed or canceled events due to a yellow weather warning due to wind.
Warning from meteorology Wind gusts of up to 65 mph are expected for the South West between 04:00 and 23:59 GMT on Christmas Day. There is also one yellow cold warning Published by the UK Health Safety Agency (UHSA).
Organizers of the annual Coverack swim in Cornwall have said the Christmas Day swim has been postponed for the first time in its 57-year history.
A couple of Boxing Day swims in Devon have been cancelled.
Met Office warning also affects Somerset A large area of Wales.
It says east to northeasterly winds will become particularly strong and gusty throughout Christmas Day, with wind peaks likely to reach 45-55 mph quite broadly and 55-65 mph on some offshore shores.
It is also stated that large waves will pose additional danger on some coasts.
Coverack swim organizers said it would be “too dangerous” for the event to go ahead given the weather forecast.
Organizers added that the swim has been postponed until New Year’s Eve.
The Start Bay Inn in Devon said it was “really sad” to announce the cancellation of its Boxing Day swim.
He said on social media: “We are really sorry to say that the weather at Torcross will be too rough for our annual swim due to the north-easterly wind.”
RNLI Teignmouth said it had made the “difficult decision” to cancel its Boxing Day seawalk event.
He said: “The annual event, which often sees hundreds of participants take a festive dip in support of RNLI lifeguards, has long been a highlight of the Boxing Day calendar.
“Whilst organizers understand the disappointment this decision may cause, safety considerations must come first.”
Royal Air Force Air Cadets 200 Squadron Torquay said: on social media On Tuesday, Torbay Council’s Boxing Day event at Torre Abbey was cancelled.
A statement from the council said: “Referring to the Boxing Day dive hosted by Torbay Council, of which 200 Squadron has been a part of for many years, unfortunately the RNLI has advised that the Torre Abbey Boxing Day dive be canceled due to large waves and easterly winds causing rough seas on Boxing Day and therefore the Boxing Day dive at Torre Abbey Sands has been canceled for the safety of everyone.
“We understand this is disappointing for some, but the safety of all participants is paramount and we must ensure everyone is safe at this event.”
