Woman swept out to sea to her death while walking dog on coastal path

A woman died in the sea off the Isle of Wight after strong winds swept her off her feet, police have said.

She was walking her dog when she was caught by waves on the revetment between Sandown and Shanklin, the Isle of Wight County Press reported.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said officers were alerted by the ambulance service at 11.17am and joined HM Coastguard at the scene.

The woman, in her 50s, was pulled from the water but pronounced dead. The County Press reported that her dog survived.

A Coastguard helicopter, rescue teams and an RNLI lifeboat were deployed.

The woman’s next of kin have been informed, and a file will be prepared for the coroner, police said.

Met Office data shows the recent Storm Austen brought a maximum gust of 69 knots (about 79mph) to the Isle of Wight, while Storm Boelo saw wind speeds in some exposed areas reach the low 80s mph.

Back-to-back storms Austen and Boelo caused carnage across the UK over the weekend, as winds exceeding 80mph and excessive rain led to flooding and building damage.

Brighton’s West Pier partially collapsed as Storm Austen slammed the UK and left nearly 7,000 homes without power.

Footage showed the historic landmark, which has been derelict since 1975, falling into the water as it was hit by large waves.

Flights and trains were cancelled as millions of people were placed under weather warnings by mid-morning on Friday.

And with a so-called super El Niño threatening to wreak havoc internationally, experts have warned there could be more weather chaos to come.

El Niño can disrupt the Arctic polar vortex – the winds that circle the North Pole.

This may allow colder air to drift southwards towards into Europe and North America, potentially bringing heavy snow.

The effect also ‘heightens the potential’ for wet weather, stormy conditions and flooding.

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