Dozens of migrants have arrived in the UK for the first time this month after 60mph cross-Channel winds halted crossings for more than a week.
A Border Force vessel escorted the mostly male group into the harbour at Dover, Kent, shortly before 11am this morning.
The migrants, who could be seen removing their orange life-jackets as they disembarked the boat today, are the first to make the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits this month.
It comes after poor weather conditions forced people smugglers to temporarily halt Channel crossings as Britain endured the sixth wettest July on record.
According to official Government figures, a total of 14,782 people have crossed the Dover Straits in 320 boats so far this year.
Dozens of migrants have arrived in the UK for the first time this month after 60mph cross-Channel winds halted crossings for more than a week
A Border Force vessel escorted the mostly male group into the harbour at Dover, Kent, shortly before 11am this morning
According to official Government figures, a total of 14,782 people have crossed the Dover Straits in 320 boats so far this year
The last Channel crossing before today was on July 26, when 147 people arrived in Dover in three inflatable dinghies or other small craft.
That same day a further 61 migrants attempted the crossing in one boat, but were prevented from doing so by the French coastguard.
The regional operational centre for surveillance and rescue (CROSS) in Cap Griz-Nez, north France spotted a boat in difficulty off the coast of Calais.
French Navy public service patrol boat, Pluvier rescued the stranded migrants and dropped them off at the port of Calais, where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police.
A succession of low pressure systems brought long periods of downpours and strong winds to much of the country, according to provisional data.
There was an average of 140.1mm of rain in the UK last month, with weather warnings issued in several regions.
Wednesday saw wind gusts reach between 50mph and 60mph in the Channel.
Last week, the Maritime Prefect issued a warning to anyone planning to cross the 21-mile stretch of water.
The migrants, who could be seen removing their orange life-jackets as they disembarked the boat today, are the first to make the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits this month
In a statement on Tuesday Maritime Prefect said: ‘Given these conditions, the maritime prefect calls for the utmost caution for the professionals of the sea, as well as, in this period of summer season, the fishermen or walkers circulating on the foreshore if conditions permit.
‘The maritime prefect also strongly advises against any practice of nautical recreation and calls on all users of the sea to be very careful.
‘The practice of water sports such as kitesurfing or windsurfing in these conditions can cause concern and lead to untimely triggering of rescue operations.’
It advised that the public pay ‘special attention’ to changing weather conditions over the coming days.
And weather conditions are unlikely to improve anytime soon, with the Met Office predicting that winds could reach speeds of up to 65mph in the UK on Saturday.
Last month saw a total of 3,299 asylum seekers make the treacherous journey across the Channel in 63 boats – an average of 52 people crammed into each vessel.
The busiest day of crossings came on July 7 when 686 migrants arrived in the UK in a 24-hour period alone.
Last year saw a record 45,755 people make the journey – 60 per cent higher than 2021 when 28,526 migrants arrived in the UK.
