'Stay away from raging seas and clifftops' during Storm Babet, RNLI urges Highland residents

LIFEBOAT crews at the RNLI have urged people to stay away from the coast after Storm Babet hit the Highlands.

The storm has sparked red, amber and yellow weather warnings from the Met Office in relation to exceptional rainfall as well as strong winds.

Those gales have resulted in raging seas, ferry cancellations and a spate of power outages that left hundreds of Highland residents without electricity – especially in western communities.

And now the RNLI has urged people not to be tempted to visit exposed cliffs, seafronts or piers to view the high waves amid fears some could find themselves swept out to sea.

Related: Power cuts leave hundreds without electricity in the Highlands amid Storm Babet gales

Related: Storm Babet sparks rare red 'danger to life' warning from Met Office as north and east Scotland brace for deluge

The charity said Storm Babet poses a safety risk and had urged "extreme caution" when venturing outside.

Michael Avril, RNLI regional water safety lead Scotland, said: "The forecast strong winds along with heavy rain are likely to cause very dangerous conditions on our coastlines around Scotland.

"The RNLI is advising people in Scotland to not visit the coast during this time in order to stay safe. It is a possibility that by being too close to water and cliff edges in these conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea. It is not worth risking your life.

"If you see someone else in danger in the water at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. If inland, call 999 and ask for the appropriate emergency service. Advise them to float to live and don’t go in the water yourself – you will end up in difficulty too."

The RNLI advice is:

• Do not visit stormy, wintry seas and cliff edges
• Follow emergency service advice around essential travel
• Please do not take risk by putting yourself, family, friends and rescue services in danger by visiting the coast.
• In an emergency call 999 and ask for the emergency services

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