The pressure group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has identified 16 beaches in Cornwall that it deems at risk of pollution following heavy rain. It says the waters around Looe, Newquay, Penzance and several others are likely to be affected.
It says that the chief contributing factor to polluted beaches is urban runoff, which sees fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and untreated human and animal waste all entering waterways, such as rivers, with the contaminants winding up on beaches and in the sea.
Pollutants and contaminants tend to stay on or close to the surface of the water, making it potentially dangerous to swim, dive or surf, reports CornwallLive.
