Residents of 20 homes on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England, have been evacuated following a massive landslip on Sunday 10 December 2023. The event happened at about 9.30 pm local time, on cliffs in the village of Bonchurch on the eastern fringe of the town of Ventnor, which fractured causing the cliff face to retreat by about 20 m. Inspections by the Isle of Wight Council suggest that fractures in the rock extend some way beyond the area which has collapsed already, making it highly likely that further collapses will occur.
The landslip is thought to be linked to the exceptionally high levels of rain on the island this year, with 110 mm of rain falling in August, 64 mm in September, 250 mm in October and 200 mm in November. The cliffs at Bonchurch are made of chalk, a soft form of limestone through which water permeates slowly, and which will eventually become waterlogged and prone to collapse after extended periods of rain.
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