KOTA KINABALU – An unusually high-tide phenomenon has taken many by surprise in Sabah tonight.
This comes as the Meteorological Department issued a category III weather alert over Sabah, warning of rough seas and strong winds in the next couple of days.
Videos of tidal waves hitting the shores of Likas Bay here and of the jetty of the Membakut ferry terminal becoming inundated by sea waters have been widely shared on social media.
Sabah Meteorological Department director Amirzudi Hashim confirmed that the state is currently experiencing a high-tide phenomenon and the situation is exacerbated by conditions that forced the category III alert.
The alert denotes strong winds with speeds of up to 60kph and rough sea conditions with waves reaching up to 4.5m in height.
“We issued the warning two days ago. Strong winds and high waves are expected as we are experiencing high-tide sea water conditions,” Amirzudi told The Vibes.
The high-tide and rough seas are expected to continue till the end of the week as local authorities warned the public not to go near coastal areas.
In the video, sea water can be seen crashing onto the gabion wall of the Likas Public Park, and spilling over to reach close to the Likas Bay highway road.
In the Membakut ferry terminal video, a few cars can be seen driving off from a ferry onto a jetty flooded with sea water.
The Membakut ferry is the main link between mainland Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan, an island. – The Vibes, January 13, 2021
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