Spring/Autumn in Durban, S.A.

As North America is getting ready to welcome the early spring of 2007, I guess not too many people would wish that they were in the beautiful southeastern coast of South Africa along the Agulhas current near Durban. They are in for some rough coastal sea conditions in the last few days. Just take a look at some of the news headline that’s happening there:

Monster wave warning issued
KZN coast battered by freak waves
Surf wreaks havoc on KZN coast
KZN coast left battered and broken

and the following one is my favorite:

'Big waves' fear unfounded

While freaque waves have been explicitly or implicitly implied in all these reports, the coarse conditions are not unexpected. It's storm season and high tide, especially when there will be an expected alignment of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. Still some devastating cases happened inevitably, among others:

In Durban an unidentified man's body was found washed up on the beach at Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

Another man was washed out to sea by the strong sruf was luckily being pulled out by an alert lifeguard. It is believed that he had gone to observe the enormous waves.

Two women at Durban's Blue Lagoon were washed off their feet when a freak wave crashed into the parking lot in the early hours. Netcare 911 spokesperson said the women were taken to Addington Hospital with cuts, bruises and lacerations. One of them was six months pregnant.

Just an ordinary spring/autumn time period, yea right!