Unusual tidal surge mystifies Australian officials as it floods streets in Brisbane

Strange tide floods streets in Brisbane to the consternation of city officials

“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.”  Luke 21:25 NLT

December 21, 2010 – AUSTRALIA – “The tide in the Brisbane River rose between 20 and 30 centimetres above the predicted mark of 1.9 metres…The tide peaked at 11am, before receding shortly after midday. Brisbane City Council has warned that similar tide heights are expected tomorrow and Friday. The Teneriffe, Norman Park and Hawthorne CityCat and CityFerry terminals were temporarily closed this morning as a safety measure, but have since re-opened…Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Geoff Doueal said the extremely high tide was the result of warm ocean temperatures off the south-east Queensland coast. “It is an interesting situation,” he said. Neither the heavy rainfall nor the inflows from Wivenhoe Dam have played a part, Mr Doueal said. ‘‘The ocean has heated and in a sense expanded, pushing the high tide even higher,’’ he said. Mr Doueal said the low pressure system over the south-east was had also pushed down on the tide causing the river to swell. The temperature of ocean waters off Point Lookout at Tweed Heads reached 26 degrees this morning, two degrees above average. Mr Doueal said sea level maps were showing the ocean was warmer closer to the coast, but much cooler in deeper waters due to a “cyclonic ocean current”. “It’s a combination of this cyclonic current and the warmer ocean temperatures close to the coast that has really affected the water level,” he said. –Brisbane Times

 

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