Those who visited Pulau Ubin on Sunday (Nov. 15) around 11am might have experienced a super spring tide of 3.3 metres near Sungei Jelutong.
Flooded bridge along Jalan Jelutong
Facebook user Victor Toh captured the moment where cyclists and kayakers were enjoying their time on the flooded bridge of Jalan Jelutong, next to Ah Ma Drink Stall.
Photo by Victor Toh/Facebook
Photo by Victor Toh/Facebook
Photo by Victor Toh/Facebook
Spring tides happen about twice a month in S'pore
While the photo might alarm some, spring tides in Singapore usually occur over a few days twice a month and usually for only a few hours each time, according to wildsingapore.
The height of tides are affected by a few factors:
- Gravitational pull of the sun
- Gravitational pull of the moon
- The rotation of the earth
Spring tides happen during a full moon or new moon, when the moon and sun are lined up.
The combined gravitational effect of both the sun and the moon results in an extra high and extra low tide.
The phenomenon is called a spring tide because the water appears to spring up, according to wildsingapore.
Scenes of spring tides at Pulau Ubin have been captured in the past, as seen in these photo by Facebook user Tan Sijie, who observed the spring tide at the same spot in 2016:
Photo by Tan Sijie/Facebook
Photo by Tan Sijie/Facebook
Photo by Tan Sijie/Facebook
In the past, Ah Ma Drink Stall would be flooded during high tides.
The stall has since been upgraded in 2018 and has been elevated so that it will no longer be flooded during high tides.
Here's how the stall looked like before it was rebuilt:
Photo via Victor Toh/Facebook
If you want to experience the flooded bridge at spring tide for yourself, you can check tide timings here before heading down to Pulau Ubin.
Top images via Victor Toh/Facebook