King tides coming to central and north Queensland east coast
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Parts of central and north Queensland will experience king tides in the next few days.
The Bureau of Meteorology says king tides are the highest of the year. They happen twice a year, around Christmas time and during the winter months.
Winter king tides usually happen at night and are not as obvious as those at Christmas which generally occur during the day.
Tides will begin to build in the next few days from the Fraser Coast to far north Queensland, where residents and visitors are being reminded that tides could push seawater higher and further onto coasts than usual.
In Cairns, roads in the southern CBD can be inundated during king tides. The Cairns Regional Council said road users should take care and avoid contact with saltwater tidal flooding, which can damage cars on contact.
King tides are caused by several astronomical factors related to the sun and the moon, their alignments, and the gravitational attraction they each have on the surface of our seas and oceans.
Read more about king tides and download the table of times for king tides in Queensland