Weatherwatch: For those in peril on the sea – and on the flooded land

The role of the lifeboat service has gradually been evolving, first as a result of changing human behaviour and then weather patterns. Once coastal traders came to grief regularly in storms around Britain and provided the spur for the original formation of the RNLI. Now giant cargo ships rarely need the help of a lifeboat. However, the number of people needing rescuing goes on rising. This is partly because of the increasing use of the coast for leisure. Unskilled amateur sailors and swimmers frequently underestimate the power of tides and currents and find themselves in trouble. An example was on 26 May last year when, on a calm day, 85 out of 133 swimmers who set off on a 1,200 metre race from Southwold Pier beach in Suffolk to a nearby pub had to be rescued when they were dragged out to sea after the tide changed. To cope with these new demands the size of lifeboats is shrinking. The D

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