Supertide of the century

By Chris Kitching for MailOnline

Supertide of the century: Thousands of tourists descend on French city of Mont Saint-Michel to witness spectacular event sparked by the solar eclipse

• Experts said the wall of water could equal the height of a four-storey building and surge faster than a ‘running man’
• A tidal expert told French media that the surge was a few inches short of expectations
• Massive tide occurs due to the gravitation pull created by the alignment of the sun, moon and Earth
• Incredible aerial photos show the picturesque landmark off the coast of Normandy cut off from the mainland
• Similar tides are expected along the coasts of Britain, the Netherlands and Canada this weekend
• The last ‘tide of the century’ occurred on March 10, 1997 and the next will take place in March 2033

Tens of thousands of curious visitors have crowded historic Mont Saint-Michel and other beauty spots along the French coastline with the promise of a ‘tide of the century’, but it may not have lived up to everyone’s expectations. Anticipating a wall of water that could equal the height of a four-storey building, tourists and locals staked out positions around the picturesque landmark last night and again today, including the partially-washed out causeway as the tide retreated. They travelled to France’s northern coast for the first giant tide of the millennium, with experts predicting that it could reach as high as 46ft – 18ft above normal – thanks to the effects from yesterday’s spectacular solar eclipse.

Parts of the coast are on high alert and France’s Navy Oceanic and Hydrological Service has urged people not to venture out too far

But tidal specialist Nicolas Pouvreau told France 24 the surge was a few inches short of expectations. Mont Saint-Michel was briefly turned into an island at high tide, but low tide provided an opportunity for people to walk on the expansive flat seabed. Although it is dubbed the ‘tide of the century’, the ‘supertide’ phenomenon occurs once every 18 years when a rare alignment of the sun, moon and Earth create a massive gravitational pull on the sea. On each occasion, Mont Saint-Michel provides a stunning setting for those looking to watch the phenomenon.

Perched on a rocky island, the Unesco World Heritage Site is exposed to some of the most powerful tides in the world, pictured is Mont Saint-Michel during low tide

See more pictures : Supertide of the century