Durban hit by Massive Waves today. See the Photos & Videos!

As predicted yesterday a big swell hit Durban today (20 January 2015), creating massive waves and smashing into piers! Mitch Meyer was there to capture it on film. (UPDATE 12 MARCH 2017: If you’re looking for video and photos of the freak tsunami-like waves that hit Durban beachfront on Sunday 12 March 2017, please click here.)

Durban’s beautiful beachfront was transformed into what looked like a flood zone as it took a beating from the big surf.

“Only the brave could surf that,” says Mitch. (Spot the surfers on the right of the pics below.)

Reports of similar conditions were reported around the world, from San Francisco in the USA to Cairns in Australia with some areas experiencing low-level flooding.

The non-scientific term is ‘king tide’ which describes an especially high tide event that occurs twice a year when there’s an alignment of the gravitational pull between sun and moon. The King Tides are expected throughout the week.

The ‘King Tide’ is not caused by global warming. According to witnesskingtides.org “they are a natural part of tidal cycles but they do give us a sneak preview of what higher sea levels could look like”…and they warn that by 2060 we could experience these every month rather than just twice a year due to sea level rise induced by climate change.

Mitch also took the following two videos…the first showing the surf, and the second showing what happens when you try to film that kind of surf!

Watch Video – Wild Durban Surf

Watch Video – And What Happens when that Surf hits the Pier you’re filming from!

If you’d like to witness the King Tides, here’s the Durban tide chart for the rest of the week, from http://www.tides4fishing.com/af/south-africa/durban

MORE

Huge waves in Kalk Bay, July 2015

Durban’s North Beach Tragedy – Big waves wash 7-year-old girl off pier – Sunday 21 January 2018