PENARTH Esplanade was battered by high tides and flooded several times due to stormy weather over the weekend.

Waves crashed against the esplanade and forced it to be closed on Friday as the flooded road caused it to resemble a lake.

On Friday morning the road was closed at 7.15am as waves crashed over the esplanade, bringing with them pebbles and seaweed.

After the tides started to go out again the drains were unblocked and a road sweeper was called in to clear the area of stones and seaweed that had been washed up.

During the high tides a canopy was also torn off the ice cream shop on the esplanade.

As well as Friday morning the esplanade also suffered high tides on Friday night, over the weekend, as well as Monday morning.

The Vale Council’s piermaster Peter Andrews said it was the most severe flooding he had ever seen as drains were blocked and stones and seaweed were thrown on to the road.

“It was hitting the esplanade so hard it was hard to believe,” he said.

He added that during the waves people went dangerously close to the barriers and risked their lives.

"It was that bad and people were going under the waves,” he said.

"If you get swept under those barriers you are gone.”

About 200 people came to see the waves crash against Penarth Esplanade during extremely high tides over the weekend.

Penarth Coastguard were in attendance to ensure people stayed safe and kept away from the edge.

The Penarth Pier Pavilion was not affected by the flooding on the esplanade or the high tides on Friday, but was closed until 1pm as gusts of wind blew dust through the vents and set off the fire alarm.

Director of the pavilion Dr David Trotman was called at 7.45am to investigate and said he was relieved that they had to use “hoovers and dusters rather than mops and buckets”.

Sandie Guppy, joint owner of the Fig Tree, said she was amazed that the water didn’t come into the Fig Tree, but that they did be put up sandbags later that night as a precaution.

The Captain’s Wife restaurant in Sully was not damaged by the waves overcoming the sea wall, but the restaurant closed early on Friday night because of the weather conditions.