Mumbai to see 26 high tides this monsoon

Mumbai: The sea will rise above the 4.5 metres for as many as 26 times this monsoon, which should keep the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials and people living on coastline on their toes.

Any tide above 4.5 metres is considered high tide. These tides are always a cause of concern, as coupled with high rainfall they result in water-logging in the low-lying areas in the city.

According to data available with the BMC, the highest high tide will be on July 15, which will witness sea waves reaching a height of 4.97 metres at 1.49 pm. Apart from this, July 14 (1.02 pm) and August 13 (1.26 pm) will see major high tides of 4.96 metres each, whereas there will a high tide of 4.95 metres on August 12 at 12.41 pm.

Considering that the months of July and August witness highest rainfall, these days are likely to be dangerous during this monsoon.

Mumbaikars have still not forgotten the horrific memories of July 26, 2005, when 944 mm of heavy rains coincided with high tide of 4.48 metres and the entire city was marooned with unprecedented floods, which took the lives of more than 400 people. 

In 2009, the city had seen the highest tides of last 100 years, as tides of height of more than five metres had ravaged the city shores on July 23 and 24.

However, according to the civic officials, there will not be any high tide measuring five metres this year, the highest being 4.97 metres on July 15. The number of high tides occasions (26) is higher as compared to last year (18).

During high-tide days, the BMC ask the authorities concerned and people living on seafronts to remain alert. “If necessary, we also evacuate people from low-lying areas and shift them to safer locations. Apart from asking them not to visit sea shores, we also appeal fisherman community not to venture in deep sea,” said a senior civic official.