Huge sea waves wreak havoc in Australia
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Huge sea waves wreak havoc in Australia*
By staff writers
June 16, 2008 03:30pm
Article from: NEWS.com.au
* Swells the size of buildings pound coast
* Waves this big only three times a year
Huge swells are pounding the Sydney coastline for a second day, as a
deep low pressure system near Lord Howe Island generates joy for surfers.
A spokesman from the Bureau of Meteorology said today "looks to be the
worst of it".
"With swells of up to three to four metres, there are some quite large
waves out there," he said.
"Most of it has been up and down the coast, up to the far north coastal
waters, the mid-north coast and a little bit of the Illawarra."
He said swell of this magnitude was usually expected about three times a
year, but in the last 12 months it had occurred up to five times, adding
that it wasn't unusual.
Gallery Taking advantage of the massive swell
Gallery Relive the barrels of fun in Teahupo
Last night, swells the size of office blocks caused serious beach
erosion and forced the cancellation of the Manly ferry service. Sydney
Ferries suspended the service after the rough conditions were deemed
unsafe. Commuters were diverted to buses after Coastalwatch reported a
5m swell pushing through the Heads.
The temperature in Sydney peaked at a chilly 14.6C on Saturday, the
coldest day since August 3 last year and reached only 15.1C yesterday.
The mercury is expected to rise to a maximum of 17C today before fine
conditions return tomorrow and on Wednesday.