'Nasty' jellyfish-like creatures spotted on Southsea coast

Two of the creatures, which resemble venomous Portuguese man o’war, were seen near South Parade Pier by Southsea fish enthusiast Julian Lloyd.

The fish are not usually seen by the shore but Storm Dennis means some have been washed up.

Julian, 50, said: ‘I was walking my dog when I saw a couple of them, which means there is probably more around.

‘They have a nasty sting even up to 24 hours after they have washed-up on the shore.

‘I saw some last year after we had storms. They get blown in by the winds.’

Similar creatures were spotted on the seafront in 2017 after being washed up by winds caused by Hurricane Ophelia.

At the time the UK Coastguard warned people to stay away from the creatures which can cause ‘painful’ stings and are ‘potentially harmful to humans and dogs alike.’

The Met Office forecast winds of more than 60mph this weekend in Portsmouth as Storm Dennis moved in.

Flood alerts are in place across the county while the bad weather has caused huge disruption to bus and train services.