Weather: Dozens Join Search For Missing Teen

More than 100 volunteers are searching for an 18-year-old student who went missing after heading out to take photos of the latest storms.

Harry Martin was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth, to take pictures of the bad weather.

The search came as extensive flood warnings remained in place on Saturday, a day after high winds and high tides combined to batter Britain's coastal communities and leave flood plains submerged.

Police, the Coastguard, Plymouth's RNLI lifeboat, and the coastal rescue helicopter based at RNAS Culdrose were called in as the search for Harry resumed on Saturday.

Aberystwyth sea front has been left with hole in the wall

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Specialist search dogs and members of the public are continuing to search for Harry. This will continue throughout today.

"Over 100 members of the public have volunteered to assist with searches in the local area of Newton Ferrers.

"We would ask any members of the public wishing to assist in our search to attend Noss Mayo village hall in order that officers can co-ordinate the search.

"We advise the public not to put themselves at risk."

Two people have already died in the storms.

Scores of people attended Noss Mayo villlage hall to join a police search

A 27-year-old man from Surrey was found on Porthleven Sands beach in Cornwall after he was swept out to sea on New Year's Eve night, and a woman died after being rescued from the sea in Croyde Bay, north Devon.

Police said another man had to be pulled from the sea in Newquay, Cornwall, at about 4.30am on Saturday after ignoring warnings about the fierce storms.

The ferocious weather has left widespread damage.

University student Millie Farmer said the promenade in Aberystwyth, west Wales, was a "complete mess" after giant waves smashed the sea front.

She estimated that the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"They're starting to clear up. It's a complete mess," said 19-year-old Miss Farmer, from Shepreth, Cambridgeshire.

Barmouth sea front in west Wales also suffered damage

"You can't see the road. The promenade slabs have been scattered everywhere. It's an extension of the beach."

The high waves forced around 100 people living close to the seafront to seek shelter on higher ground, with many taking shelter in rest centres.

Not far away, rail lines in north Wales were left buckled by the power of the sea and a road collapsed in Amroth, Pembrokeshire.

Natural Resources Wales said the storm was the worst to have affected the south and west Wales coastline in 15 years.

High tides and large waves also flooded streets in Looe in Cornwall and Salcombe and Kingsbridge in Devon.

A man and child were almost swept away by a huge wave at Mullion Cove in Cornwall as they peered over the sea wall to watch the raging sea.

The worst affected area is the Severn Estuary

Elsewhere in Cornwall vehicles driving on a coastal road were swamped and almost washed away by a tidal surge.

The hundreds of spectators flocking to view areas hit by high waves and flooding prompted the Environment Agency to issue a warning, urging people to stay away.

Residents in Chiswell and Portland in Weymouth, Dorset, were evacuated ahead of high tide on Friday night and a siren also sounded on Saturday repeating the warning.

Red flood warnings and yellow flood alerts in the south west

Homes have already been flooded inland across the UK as well after rivers from Cornwall to Scotland burst their banks.

The worst affected areas are the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire and the River Stour in Dorset.

The danger has been created by a combination of the effects of widespread heavy rain mixed with exceptionally high tides along the west of the UK.

Whitby and South Shields are among the areas at risk in the North

Water levels at the part of the River Severn affected by tidal flows are approaching the highs of 2007 that left huge areas inundated.

The Environment Agency say that defences put in place after the 2007 floods are largely holding up so far.

A spokesperson said most recent estimates suggest that around 90 properties have flooded since yesterday, bringing the total number of properties flooded to around 220.

Weather watchers risk a soaking at Westward Ho!, Devon. Pic: Chris Wileman

But they added that continued heavy rain and high tides are leaving several areas around the UK, both on the coast and inland, still at risk of flooding.

Forecasters warned the bad weather conditions will continue over the next few days, with many areas already saturated.

Up to 30mm (1.2ins) of rain is forecast in south east England on Saturday and similar amounts on higher ground on Sunday.

On Friday, it emerged that Scotland had suffered its wettest December on record.

The Met Office has also revealed the month was the UK's "stormiest" (meaning it endured the largest number of Atlantic storms) since 1969.

River Severn levels are reaching historic highs at Epney, Gloucestershire

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Outbreaks of rain will push up from the south and spread northwards, but by this afternoon further rain will follow in behind, where it may linger across East Anglia and south-east England.

"Here we could see around 20-30mm of rain fall in just 6 hours, so the greatest risk of flooding will be across these areas.

"Tomorrow more rain is expected from the south-west, spreading across most of the UK and the Republic of Ireland."

:: Send us your weather photos or video to news@sky.com or text your pictures to 84501. But don't take unnecessary risks.

Other areas that have been hit by the latest bout of flooding are the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and parts of Dorset and Wales.

A canoeist on Worcester racecourse. Pic by Dave Key

The Thames Barrier was shut for three hours on Saturday morning and was due to close again on Saturday afternoon to protect the capital from flooding.

Rough seas caused part of a cliff at Rock-A-Nore, outside Hastings in East Sussex, to collapse.

Around 100 flood warnings remained in place across the UK.

Numerous transport services and routes have been hit by the storms.

Trains were cancelled in Wales and the south and south west of England and several roads and bridges close to the coast have been subject to restrictions.

Parts of Gloucestershire are underwater after the Severn's banks broke

Dozens of lower-league football matches across the UK have been postponed because of the weather or water-logged pitches.

The Government has been forced to deny claims that austerity cuts will hit flood defences - despite reports that hundreds of frontline jobs are being cut.

Belfast escaped major flooding on Friday, but similar weather conditions are forecast for Sunday and Monday and sandbag barriers along the Connswater River will remain in place.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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