LONDON - Britain pleaded with people on Friday to stop taking storm selfies as record-breaking winds lashed northern Europe and sent waves curling over the roofs of coastal property.
Storm Eunice has battered Britain with winds of up to 122 miles per hour, a record for England, and killed at least one person in Ireland while causing power and travel disruptions for tens of thousands.
"A dramatic photograph or selfie is not worth risking your life for and those who are going to the coast to take pictures are also putting our teams at risk," Coastguard Tactical Commander Ben Hambling said in a statement.
"We are urging people in the strongest possible terms to stay away from the coast."
The Coastguard said there had been multiple reports of people at the waterline taking pictures of the waves, and even of families standing by the surf line with their children.
Deaths while taking 'selfies' have been rising according to a study in 2018, partly due to thrill seekers courting popularity on social media platforms.
"The reports we are receiving are absolutely terrifying," Hambling said. "In these conditions all it takes is one wave."