A man was swept out to sea while celebrating the new year on the beach.
The 27-year-old is feared dead after going missing in Cornwall, the day after a woman died in the surf in North Devon.
Emergency services are searching for people missing in ferocious weather as the first storms of 2014 brought flooding misery to home-owners.
Police across the country are searching for several people who have not been seen since last night.
Visitors to coastal areas have been warned to stay out of the sea, while those inland have been braced for localised flooding.
The Environment Agency put out more than 200 weather warnings today, covering every region of England and Wales.
There are dozens of flood warnings in place, mostly in the South West of England, while forecasters have predicted strong winds, heavy rain and further flooding in the coming days.
Craig Woolhouse, the Environment Agency’s head of flood incident management, said: “Strong winds and large waves along the west and south coasts of England are forecast between Friday and Sunday, coinciding with high tides.
“Impacts could include flooding affecting some coastal properties and communities.
