Storm Dennis is expected to bring a spell of very wet and windy weather across our region over the weekend.
Coastal gales
The wind is expected to increase during Saturday, 15 February with gusts as high as 60 to 70 miles per hour along the south coast. The strongest winds are expected during Saturday before easing late on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Impacts could include:
- Damaged or fallen trees
- Difficult driving conditions
- Disruption to transport
- Isolated power cuts.
Brighton & Hove’s beaches can be extremely dangerous in stormy weather with violent waves coming from different directions, coupled with freezing temperatures and high spring tides.
Our seafront team patrol the 13km (8 miles) of our seafront and look out for the safety of the public but we urge people to keep well away from high waves and rough seas.
Find out how to stay safe on the beach and watch our sea safety videos.
Flooding
The Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning for heavy rain in our area for Sunday, 16 February. This rain will fall onto already saturated ground and could lead to difficult driving conditions, disruption to transport and localised flooding of homes and businesses.
More information about what to do in the event of flooding.
Clearing up shingle
As a result of the gale force winds caused by Storm Ciara last weekend a large amount of shingle and debris was washed onto Hove Promenade between Hove Lagoon and the Peace statue.
There is a strong possibility of the same thing happening this weekend during Storm Dennis, so we have planned in the work to clear shingle beginning on Monday, 17 February.
Cityclean, highways and seafront teams are working together and the clear up operation will focus on clearing affected areas of the promenade, including part of the route for the Brighton half marathon which takes place on Sunday 23 February.
In addition to clearing the promenade we’re working to move shingle that has built up at the rear of the beach to reduce the impact of waves ‘overtopping’ sea walls and other structures during storms.
Reporting fallen trees and hazards
Please only report fallen trees and hazards causing an immediate danger to 999.
To report other debris and damage, please use the numbers below.
- Dangerous structures, fallen trees and lampposts in Brighton & Hove 01273 292 229
- Damaged telephone lines and poles 0800 023 2023
- UK Power Network 0800 316 3105
Severe weather shelter for rough sleepers
Our severe weather shelter will be open overnight this Saturday and Sunday from 7pm in Brighton Town Hall. The shelter will also be open all day on Sunday, 16 February due to the Amber weather warning.
We open a severe weather shelter in extreme weather conditions. The shelter can be opened at any time of the year to respond to the impact of heavy rain, snow, storms, heat and wind chill.
The shelter is also known as SWEP (which stands for Severe Weather Emergency Protocols).
More information about SWEP.