Body found in rough seas as UK faces another fierce storm
LONDON – Rescuers found a body in rough seas following an extensive search Saturday off the coast of southeast England, as Britain faced a second straight weekend of wild winter weather and flooding.
The body was discovered by a lifeboat from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which received a distress call of a man falling off a ship.
Hurricane-force winds of up to 85 knots and monster waves that could reach over 100 feet high were roaring across the North Atlantic on Saturday, the U.S. National Weather Service’s Ocean Prediction Center said.
The fourth named storm of the season, dubbed Dennis by Britain’s Met Office weather service, was expected to deepen through the weekend. Authorities urged people to take all possible precautions. Hundreds of flights were reported canceled.
The Met Office had 22 flood warnings in place around England. The Irish Meteorologist Service issued a number of wind warnings, saying gusts of up to 75 mph might be seen.
Around 75 British army personnel and 70 reservists were helping out stretched communities in the flood-hit Calder Valley region in West Yorkshire, constructing barriers and repairing damaged flood defenses.
“Our armed forces are always ready to support local authorities and communities whenever they need it,” Britain’s Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said. “The rapid response of the Army today will help with provision of flood relief to local communities in West Yorkshire.”