Mumbaikars witness rare 5.5 metre tidal waves

MUMBAI - Sea waves rode the tarmac near the Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Juhu and Worli among other places Friday as India’s financial capital was lashed by tidal waves 5.5 metres high, billed as the highest in 100 years.

There were no reports of casualties during the high tide brought about by a combination of the monsoon and the strong gravitational pull of the moon two days after the new moon and the solar eclipse of Wednesday.

City authorities had issued advance warnings to people and initiated precautionary shifting of people from the lowlying areas.

While the evacuation of people from coastal areas had begun from Wednesday onwards, today, over 4,000 people were shifted to safer locations in view of the high tide, an official announcement said this evening. The people returned home only after the sea water started receding by 6 pm.

Huge waves crashed onto the retaining walls at Nariman Point, Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Marine Drive, Haji Ali, Worli Seaface, Bandra Bandstand, Juhu, Versova, Marve, Gorai, Bhandup and Vikhroli.

Water roared over roads near Prabhadevi, Worli, Juhu, Bandra Santacruz apart from the one near the Gateway of India just outside the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel.

Coastal areas near Mumbai, such as Thane, Bhayander, Uttan, Palghar, Boisar and Dahanu also experienced the unusual high tides.

Water entered the slums in Worli, Cuffe Parade and a residential building in Santacruz, and finally receded later this evening.

The high tide started at 2.05 p.m. and the waters are to ebb at 8.09 p.m. when it will reach the lowest level of 0.77 metre, the weather bureau said.

Thousands of office-goers took time off to view the majestic natural phenomenon at various points across the city, though from a safe distance and under the watchful eyes of the authorities.

People living in high-rise buildings facing the Arabian Sea crowded the balconies in neighbourhoods like Borivli, Kandivli, Malad, Goregaon, Andheri, Bandra, Mahim and south Mumbai.

Saturday will be another day of high tide when waves measuring 4.94 metres are expected to hit the city at 2.43 p.m., the weatherman added.

This has been a week of high tides. In the past two days, waves measuring 4.85 and 5.1 metres lashed Mumbai and the Konkan region.