Tide and tested: Century's tallest waves lash Mumbai

People throng citys famous beaches to witness natures fury

The phenomenon generated tremendous curiosity and enthusiasm among the people who thronged the city’s famous beaches and coastlines like the Marine Drive and the Worli Sea Face to witness the Nature’s fury. Fortunately, as predicted by the meteorological department, there was little rains on Friday, which spared Mumbai from routine flooding and waterlogging.

The Friday tides were billed as the highest in a hundred years. Scientifically, the event was attributed to a combination of monsoon and the strong gravitational pull of the moon two days after the New Moon.

The municipal authorities were on a high alert and nearly a thousand families had been evacuated from the vulnerable coastal areas.

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

Water roared over roads near Prabhadevi, Worli, Juhu and Bandra. The tarmac opposite the Taj Mahal hotel in the vicinity of the Gateway of India too was flooded by seawater.

The high tide started at 2.05 pm and the waters began to ebb in the evening. At 8.09 pm, it reached 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.

Saturday will be another day of high tide when waves measuring 4.94 metres are expected to hit the city at 2.43 pm, the observatory said.

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.

The civic authorities are taking no chances during the high tides.

As many as 11 hotlines have been established and 34 rain gauges have been installed from where round-the-clock information is being collected. Control rooms have been set up at all the 24 civic wards.