Cape Town - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has urged sea users and coastal hikers to be cautious during the current full moon spring tide, which peaks on Monday.
The monthly full moon spring tide peaks on the full moon on Monday and the effects of this spring tide on the coastline, which began on Thursday, would continue to affect the coastline into the later half of the week, the NSRI said in a statement.
“Spring tide happens twice every month, at full moon and at new moon, and lasts for a few days over each full moon and each new moon, peaking on the day of the full moon and the new moon.”
The twice monthly spring tides brought higher than normal high tides and lower than normal low tides and stronger than normal rip currents.
“This November the 14th ‘super full moon spring tide’ will have a greater affect on the coastline because the full moon this month will be closer to earth than normal (known as a super moon).
“This super moon will have a marginally greater affect on the spring high and low tides making them more prominent than normal and hence extreme caution is advised because rip currents around the coastline will be stronger than the normal spring tide effects on the coastline.”
The spring tide would last until at least November 18, and over this period the public, anglers, bathers, beach strollers, boaters, paddlers, and coastline hikers were advised to exercise extreme caution around the coastline and be aware of rough sea conditions, stronger than normal rip currents, higher than normal high tides, and lower than normal low tides, the NSRI said.
AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY