A POTENTIALLY deadly sea creature has been spotted washed up on Aberdyfi beach, as experts warn of the UK coast being “invaded” following recent hurricanes and extreme weather.

Julie Fortune spotted the Portuguese man o’ war, a jellyfish-like creature usually found in the Atlantic Ocean, on Aberdyfi beach on Sunday. The man o’ war have tentacle-like polyps that can give an agonising and potentially lethal sting if touched.

The sting is particularly dangerous to small children.

Julie told the Cambrian News: “As a bather, I wanted to warn people about these dangerous creatures washing up in Aberdyfi.”

The largest concentration of Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish since 2003 are washing up on UK shores, according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Swimmers are being advised to wear full body suits to protect themselves, while parents taking children to the beach have been warned to exercise “extreme caution”.

Dr Peter Richardson, head of ocean recovery at the Marine Conservation Society, said the MCS would like people to report any sightings of Portuguese man o’ war to its website “so we get a better idea of the extent of the strandings.”

If you spot a Portuguese man o’ war then report the sighting immediately, ideally with a picture, to www.mcsuk.org