Geography in the News: Sidmouth cliff falls send clouds of dust into air

A series of spectacular cliff collapses has sent huge clouds of dust billowing into the air at Sidmouth, along the Devon coast.

Yesterday morning the first fall at East Beach was reported to local coastguards at 9.30am, which was then followed by a number of smaller falls throughout the morning.

The area is well known for cliff falls, however local people claim that this is the largest collapse seen, with dust seen along the beach and several metres out to sea.

The brittle cliffs of the Jurassic Coast have been cracking under the recent heatwave, weakening the brittle surface and triggering landslides.

The local response has been swift - the coastguard team from neighbouring Beer were first on the scene and reported no casualties, and the Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat crew have warned people to stay away as the cliffs are unsafe.

A coastguard team from nearby Beer was sent to the first fall and a check of the area found no casualties and no-one at risk of injury.

Read more here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-...

Read more here - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne...

The coastline is vulnerable here - a row of 12 houses perched on cliffs at Sidmouth are losing their gardens to the sea, with some having lost 20m of land - read more here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/....