The rain lashed noisily against the windows and drummed upon the flat roof of the dormer.

She pulled the blankets up over her head and tried to shut out the incessant din but it was no use.

The howling wind whistled around the eaves reaching a thundering crescendo before dying away, only to return with equal ferocity moments later.

Outside she could hear the distant roar of the sea, waves crashing mercilessly against the rocks below the cliffs with a muted rumble.

Her house had withstood such battering for over fifty years and so she didn't fear this awful storm.

In the summer, the view from her bedroom across the North Sea was stunning, awe inspiring even but the winter, now that was a different story and on a night like this she was happy to just curl up in front of the fire with a good book and a cup of Cocoa.

Tonight, the gale force winds were whipping the crests from the waves and lifting the spray high into the air leaving a thin crust of salt on the outside of her normally spotless windows which the torrential rain did nothing to dilute.

Small digits glowing dimly red on the clock beside her bed showed just ten minutes past midnight and she curled tightly into a ball and squeezed her eyes closed but sleep remained elusive.

It wasn't just the storm which kept her awake but her thoughts. She was waiting, expecting something...

Sure enough, her fears were realised with a sudden and persistent beep, beep, beep.

Without a second thought she grabbed the RNLI pager and acknowledged it as she sprang from her bed.

The storm didn't trouble her now as within minutes she would be battling those very waves that had denied her sleep...