High tides and strong winds whipped up some dramatic scenes along the coast this morning.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: High tides have bought rough seas to the base of Hemsby's soft cliffs Picture: Liz CoatesHigh tides have bought rough seas to the base of Hemsby's soft cliffs Picture: Liz Coates (Image: Archant)

At Hemsby churning waves crashed into the soft dune cliffs where last year an erosion streak saw a string of homes toppled.

The popular holiday beach where in the summer families enjoyed sunny days playing and paddling was lost to the sea, the water cutting off all beaches north and south of the lifeboat station.

At Scratby the waves bought water to the bottom of the wooden steps and beyond the rock barriers.

Dog walkers found little beach to speak of, restricted to a thin strip of land hugging the base of the cliffs.

At 9.30am at Great Yarmouth the water level was 1m above what had been predicted with the northerly wind piling it up along the coast.

The Environment Agency said some homes and businesses could be flooded between 5.45am and 9.45am.

It issued three flood warnings where immediate action is required and 16 flood alerts where flooding could be possible.

The Norfolk coast, stretching from Bacton to Great Yarmouth, was warned to expect rising waters.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said its coastal engineer was monitoring the situation, but there had been no reports of flooding or problems.

At Hemsby one home in the Marrams is at risk with the owner fully aware of procedure.