Torrential Rain Causes Flooding Threat and Makes Cliffs Dangerous

Heavy rainfall has led to a number of swollen rivers and subsequent flooding in many parts of the UK.  For the Dorset town of Lyme Regis, famous for its beaches and the fossils that can be found along the shore, the recent rain could make the cliffs even more unstable.  There have already been a number of rockfalls, particularly on Monmouth Beach.  A video shot by our chum Brandon Lennon of the river Lym in spate gives an impression as to just how much rain has fallen in the area over recent days.

The video can be found on Brandon’s YouTube channel.

Hazardous Cliffs at Lyme Regis

Brandon very kindly sent us some pictures of landslides and rock falls that occurred on the beaches of Lyme Regis and we wrote a short article about the dangers of fossil hunting in the area in the present conditions.

To read this article warning of the dangers: Bad Weather at Lyme Regis leads to Dangerous Cliffs.

Brandon reports that the torrential rain led to another substantial land slip on Monmouth Beach on Saturday.

Frequent Rock Falls at Lyme Regis

Dangerous conditions for beachcombers.

Picture credit: Brandon Lennon

We have put an arrow on the picture so that the person in the photograph can be seen.  This gives an idea of the scale of the rock fall.

The current weather is making fossil collecting on the beaches around Lyme Regis very hazardous.  At Everything Dinosaur we would urge visitors to keep away from the cliffs and perhaps the best way to enjoy a fossil hunting trip is to take advantage of a guided tour with a professional fossil collector who knows the tides and the beaches in the area very well.

Brandon Lennon provides guided fossil hunting walks, to read more about this activity: Lyme Regis Fossil Walks.

Parts of the UK have already experienced the wettest June on record, July looks to be continuing the trend with the weather forecast for much of the country indicating that further periods of prolonged downpours are to be expected.

For replicas of ammonites and belemnites and other iconic creatures from the fossil record: Iconic Creatures from the Fossil Record (Models and Figures).