THE twice monthly spring tide will hit the coast this weekend.
High tides will peak on Saturday, 21st March, with the New Moon phase.
As usual spring tide brings a higher than normal high tide, a lower than normal low tide and with it stronger than normal rip currents.
The NSRI have warned spring tide will last for the next 5 to 6 days.
‘Stronger than normal rip currents will be experienced along the coast for a few days leading up to the full or the new moon, peaking on the day of the full or the new moon, and lasting for a few days after the full or the new moon, every month of the year,’ said Craig Lambinon, NSRI Communications.
However, what is being termed a cosmic coincidence, happening from today (Friday) may well see rip currents being even stronger than what are normally experienced during the spring tide because of the equinox (the beginning of Autumn for the Southern Hemisphere), secondly a solar eclipse (the effects of which will mostly be seen in the Northern Hemisphere and is an occurrence of the moon coming between the sun and the earth, casting a shadow on parts of earth – in this case mostly the Northern Hemisphere).
And thirdly a super moon, although in this case the super moon is happening during the new moon phase and hence will not be physically seen from earth it is non the less occurring (A super moon happens only a few times each year and is termed a super moon because the moon approaches earth closer than normal).
