Lorenzo's swells batter east coast

Long-period north-easterly swells generated by Hurricane Lorenzo are expected to continue to batter TT’s northern and sheltered coastal areas until October 1.

The swells, coupled with spring tides which are expected to last until tomorrow, are also expected to affect the island’s eastern coastline with battering waves.

TT Met Service (TTMS) meteorologist Paula Wellington, in a telephone interview, was commenting on a video posted on social media of large waves topping the Guayaguayare sea wall, Mayaro yesterday. She said the phenomena is normal for areas along the east coast which is on the windward part of the island.

“Guayaguayare is on the east coast. The east coast is on the windward part of the island, and would be battered by waves at any time when we have the prevailing easterly waves and winds,” said Wellington.

“For the eastern coastline, that is a normal occurrence and it may be that with the high tides, the battering waves could come over the sea wall.”

Wellington, however, said the TTMS’s hazardous seas yellow level alert is for those areas that do not experience that type of wave.

She said the alert was issued from Friday until Tuesday with areas expected to experience “occasional battering waves which can lead to localised disruption to sea bathing and other near shore coastal activities.”

“Mosquito Creek is in the Gulf of Paria, the gulf don’t usually have that kind of battering waves but because the long period swells are getting through the Bocas, you could see the sheltered areas being battered by the waves.

“You have the bays in the northern coastline, bays are usually sheltered areas but because of the long period swells, the waves are going to move up the coast a lot higher and faster and stronger, so that is why we have mainly the northern and sheltered areas affected because those are the areas not normally affected by oncoming waves.”Wellington said spring tides are phenomena which occur during the full and new moons.

“We have higher than normal heights of high tides on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.”

Social media posts showed waves topping the Guayaguayare sea wall with flooding taking place at Mosquito Creek.