People are being warned to take care near cliffs on the North Norfolk coast as Storm Christoph is expected to bring more heavy rain to the county.
North Norfolk District Council has issued a cliff fall warning for parts of the coastline prone to landslips.
The warning comes as more rain falls and the Environment Agency a yellow warning for flooding in parts of North Norfolk as the UK prepares for Storm Christoph. There had been a Met Office warning for rain but that has been removed, with a wind warning added for parts of the region.
Cliff falls are more common in winter, with a number of landslips expected across the coast in the winter months, but bad weather such as prolonged periods of heavy rain and melting snow increases the risk of landslips.
As a result, NNDC is urging people to be careful if walking along the county's coastline in the coming days and weeks.
Coastal Manager, Rob Goodliffe said: “Many of our coastal cliffs are susceptible to failure due to groundwater and how this interacts with the natural geology as well as erosion from the sea.
"Following periods of prolonged and heavy rainfall there is a greater likelihood of cliff slips, these can be very large and on occasion, cliff materials can reach past the low watermark.
"If you witness the start of a cliff slip, vacate the area immediately,” he said.
NNDC is advising anyone walking near the cliffs to stay away from the cliff edge and the base of the cliff. While walking along the beach, it is also advisable to check the tide times and know the risks.
Angie Fitch-Tillet, portfolio holder for the coast, said: "The importance of coastal safety cannot be urged enough; our cliffs are a beautiful feature of our coastline but they are not indestructible and natural occurrences like heavy weather and storms can weaken areas that are unstable.
"For their own safety, walkers should not be nearing the base or edge of the cliff and the cliff face should never be seen as a shortcut. Please take care and understand the real dangers this can present”
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