15 June 2012 Last updated at 12:22 ET

Rain and gales spark sea rescues off Devon and Cornwall

Penlee Lifeboat coxswain Patch Harvey said sea conditions were "nasty"

Severe weather sparked a number of rescues at sea off the coast of Devon and Cornwall on Thursday.

The Penlee lifeboat was launched after a yacht lost its engine and sails off the coast of Newlyn in Cornwall.

Meanwhile the St Mary's lifeboat went to the rescue of another yacht which had been knocked over off St Martins on the Isles of Scilly.

In Devon, a boat ran aground near Cremyll harbour, while another got into trouble off Plymouth Sound.

A number of small boats have also broken away from their moorings.

Traffic delays

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said conditions at sea off the South West were very poor.

A spokesman said severe gales and high seas meant conditions were "not good at all".

The Penlee lifeboat's coxswain, Patrick "Patch" Harvey, described the rescue of the yacht Harmony as a "bit tricky" and conditions at sea as "nasty" with waves about 5m (16ft) high.

Services to the Isles of Scilly were also disrupted, with the Scillonian III remaining docked at St Mary's Harbour until 16:30 BST on Friday before it could return to Penzance.

Ferry managers added that the Saturday morning sailing from Penzance would be delayed from 09:15 BST until 11:00.

Skybus said weather conditions had not been as severe as it expected and most of its flights had taken off with only slight delays.

The Environment Agency has warned people to "remain prepared" for the possibility of flooding.

It also told caravan and campsite operators to be ready to take action if flooding occurred.

Surface water

The A39 between Truro and Falmouth in Cornwall was closed after a large tree was brought down by the wind.

The closure led to considerable traffic delays, which were made worse by an accident on one of the roads that was being used for a diversion.

The Met Office forecast gale-force winds and heavy showers on Friday.

The Environment Agency had no active flood warnings, but it said surface water could cause problems.