Why the sea turned dark pink in Somerset

High winds and big waves during Storm Pierrick turned the sea pink in Somerset.

Pictures from photographer Liz Elmont show crashing waves at Dunster Beach in Minehead had turned a vibrant pink colour as the storm hit on Tuesday 9 April.

Storm Pierrick pummelled the South West with winds reaching 65mph and torrential rain.

According to the Environment Agency the colour change is "simply sediment" from the red mudstone cliffs in the area that is being "churned up by the high energy waves that the recent weather has generated".

A spokesperson said: "The intense energy has mobilised a lot of additional sediment that is normally settled out on the seabed, rather than held in suspension."

Liz Elmont had gone down to Dunster Beach knowing there would be some "big waves".

She is partially disabled after having a stroke but found herself "a safe place to sit and watch the sea".

The photos were all taken from a "safe distance, as the waves were really crashing over the footpath in the strong winds", she said.

"I wasn’t too surprised as the sea here is often discoloured by the mud but I had never seen it quite so pink before", she added.