Crash of titan waves in Penang not connected to Osaka quake

GEORGE TOWN (June 20): Waves as high as 3.5m crashed against the seawall along the waterfront promenade Esplanade in Penang yesterday, drenching visitors and vehicles parked along the popular tourist stretch.

While several posts on social media have shown people in regale over the rare mighty splash, some Facebook commenters wondered if the tidal waves had been connected to the earthquake which rocked Osaka last Monday, reported The Star today.

“Tsunami as this morning Japan was hit by 6.8 magnitude earthquake I believe,” one FB user was reported saying.

In response, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s oceanologist Prof Dr Zulfigar Yasin explained that the collosal tides were caused by a clash of winds and currents.

“The tide in the Strait of Malacca rises from the south to the north, so Penang’s tide rises before Kedah. We are now getting strong winds from the southwest. Therefore, when the winds blow at the sea as the tide rises, it adds velocity to the currents’ movement on the sea surface, causing larger waves,” he was quoted saying.

Zulfigar deemed it fortunate that the south-westerly wind reared its head only on the fourth day of Hari Raya.

“We had even stronger tides on the first day. If the winds had met the tide on the first day, you would have seen even bigger waves,” he added.

Zulfigar confirmed greater coastal storms have been reported in several other countries but there has been insufficient statistical evidence to blame them on climate change.

On Monday, the Meteorological Department had cautioned against water activities as it forecasted southwesterly winds of 40kmph to 50kmph with waves up to 3.5m over the waters of Perlis, Kedah and Penang until Tuesday, 5pm.

Currents hit 2.47m along the coastlines at 4pm on Monday while forceful winds lifted  wave crests to a reported 3.5m.

The pounding waves on Monday also compelled some seafood eateries along Pantai Bersih in to halt operation at about 7pm.

“Normally, diners can enjoy the breeze, and there is a sense of excitement when they see the waves pounding the walls. But this time, the waves were too huge and we felt it was unsafe to continue operating,” said a restaurant owner who preferred to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, mechanic Chan Kok Hoe counseled affected owners to give their cars a thorough washing immediately.

“Salt water takes time to act on metals, so to avoid any damage to your car, you should wash it on the same day,” he highlighted.