Ireland braces for highest tides in 25 years

WESTPORT (Ireland): Ireland is bracing itself for its highest tides in more than two decades that could cause wide-spread flooding if combined with stormy weather.

"We're anticipating the highest tides for the best part of a quarter of a century," Irish Environment Minister Dick Roche said at a political party conference on Tuesday.

"We've advised local authorities to ensure that they take basic precautions... We've also asked that the civil defence will be on stand-by alert," he added.

This year's particularly strong tides are the result of the combination of strong Equinox spring tides -- tides with the greatest difference between high and low water which occur twice a year -- and an 18.6-year "nodal cycle" linked to the tilt of the moon and the elliptic nature of its orbit around the earth.

The Irish Marine Institute said Ireland would experience a period of unusually high tidal ranges this year, with the tides reaching their highest levels around Sept. 9, Oct. 8 and Nov. 6.

In neighbouring Britain, a series of abnormally high tides are forecast for mid-September and mid-October, which means that East Anglia could see the highest water levels in 20 years and the highest in a decade for the UK's northeastern coast.

If these high tides were to coincide with a major storm, then the east coast of Britain could be hit by flooding, scientists warn.