Teignmouth Grand Pier and sea wall protecting railway both fell victim to Storm Ingrid over weekend

Part of Teignmouth Grand Pier in Devon washed away during Storm Ingrid
Part of Teignmouth Grand Pier in Devon washed away during Storm Ingrid (National Coastwatch Teignmouth Station)

Sections of a historic pier in Devon have been washed away and a sea wall has partially collapsed while Storm Ingrid batters parts of the UK.

Images show large parts of Teignmouth Grand Pier, built in 1865, missing, and sections of the sea wall having fallen down, as large waves thrashed the coastline on Friday night and into Saturday

The Teignmouth National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), which shared some of the pictures, issued a warning for people in the area to take care around the coast, warning they had “never seen it this rough before” before high tide.

The organisation wrote on social media: “Never seen it this rough before on a Saturday morning and still 80 minutes until high tide, (9.40am and 4.35m). Unfortunately we have lost a large section of pier at the end, you can see the gap. Be very careful out there, it’s dangerous.”

Meanwhile, it has been reported that sections of the sea wall protecting the railway line at Dawlish have “crumbled”, with services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth suspended.

Three yellow weather warnings for rain are in place across the UK as Storm Ingrid, named by the Portuguese weather service IPMA, brings heavy rain and winds of up to 60mph to the country.

Teignmouth Pier is privately owned
Teignmouth Pier is privately owned (Getty Images)

The south-west of England and Wales has been under a heavy rain warning since 2am on Friday, set to last until 10pm on Saturday. Frequent heavy showers are expected, merging into longer spells of rain at times. An additional 20 to 40mm of rain is expected to fall, and 50mm in a few exposed locations.

Gusts of 45 to 50mph battered the inland across the South West, with winds peaking during Friday evening before gradually easing overnight into Saturday morning.

Teignmouth mayor, councillor Cate Williams, told Sky News the pier was already in poor condition, and it was unclear whether it could be fixed as it is privately owned.

“It goes out for a bit and then effectively there is a portion of it that has just washed away, dissolved, and then you have another little bit of the structure that is still standing,” she said.

“The pier was built in the 1860s. It has been through a bit of wear and tear, it’s had storm damage before and been through wars.

“There is a family who own the pier and has done so for multiple generations. But the pier itself is a focus of our community, it’s right there on the front of our boardwalk.”

Weather warnings remain in place on Sunday morning for Scotland and Northern Ireland
Weather warnings remain in place on Sunday morning for Scotland and Northern Ireland (Met Office)

She added: “The arcade aspect to it, the games, are used by residents and visitors of all ages, so it’s a really important feature. It stands out.

“As we know, at seaside resorts those with piers are very few and far between, so the fact we have it here is something that we appreciate and enjoy.”

Meanwhile, Dawlish resident Peter Large told the BBC parts of the sea wall that protects the railway line had “just crumbled” after a “very dramatic” night.

“The wall is now gone at either end,” he said. “I’m looking down at it now and there’s a strip about 80 to 90 ft long where the wall has just crumbled. The waves are still crashing over the railway line and over the wall.”

The Liberal Democrat MP for Newton Abbot, Martin Wrigley, described the railway as “a crucial lifeline for the entire south west” of England and said “more work” needs to be done on it.

”The wall beside the track at Sea Lawn Terrace has been demolished and there is literally tonnes of debris on the line, let alone the amount of water on the line,” he told the broadcaster.

Rain is set to clear from Devon after 9am tomorrow, but will cover other parts of Somerset and Dorset into tomorrow afternoon.

Meanwhile, eastern parts of Scotland will see a further 20 to 30mm of rain, and a few spots could see 50mm, after three days of wet weather across the region lasting until 9am on Sunday. Above 400 to 500m, however, a lot of this will fall as snow, with rain confined to areas below this level.

Northern Ireland will see heavy rain overnight from 8pm on Saturday until 9am on Sunday. As part of the slow-moving low-pressure system, 10 to 20mm is expected widely. In a few areas, as much as 25mm could fall in 12 hours, leading to flooding and difficult driving conditions.

It will also become windy with easterly winds reaching 30 to 35mph inland, and up to 45 to 55mph on some coasts and over high ground. Winds are expected to ease after midnight.