Storm Abigail: 'Foamageddon' as British sea front engulfed in foam amid warning for motorists
'An event today is probably due to the high wind and waves being experienced as part of Storm Abigail'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Traffic came to a standstill at high tide along the Fylde coast in Lancashire as huge amounts of sea foam engulfed the promenade.
In the footage, cars are seen ploughing through the deep foam, which looks like snow.
The foam caused dangerous traffic conditions for many motorists, leading authorities to close the promenade between Fleetwood and Blackpool.
Sea foam forms when the ocean is agitated by wind and waves, a spokesperson for the Met Office explained.
"An event today is probably due to the high wind and waves being experienced as part of Storm Abigail," they said.
Storm warnings have been issued across northern England and every school in Scotland's Western Isles and Shetland has been closed after the storm hit the UK with winds of up to 84 mph.
Algal blooms are a source of thick sea foams, when large amounts of decaying algal matter wash ashore.
"The area in the Irish Sea should be fairly rich in terms of particulars and biological factors that help this happen."
Most sea form is not harmful to humans. It is only when large harmful algal blooms decay near shore that there are potential risks to human health and the environment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments