Giant waves, stirred by a powerful low pressure system in the Pacific, have given surfers the ride of their lives and flooded coastal regions at a Mexican surf mecca.
The storms originated near the International Date Line and included sustained winds of 50-60 knots (93-111km/h), creating a massive swell that surprised residents in coastal regions fringing the eastern Pacific.
Puerto Escondido, a world-famous surfing town two hours south of Acapulco, was one region hit by the monster waves on the weekend.
Shops and restaurants were flooded and surfers battled the biggest waves in the area perhaps for decades.
"It shows huge waves can be generated quite some distance away," said Alex Zadnik, a meteorologist with Weatherzone, who has surfed at the Mexican beach. "The weather conditions wouldn't have given the locals a clue" of what was coming, he said.
Vean las olas que provocó el Mar de Fondo en Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca en la playa de Zicatela. pic.twitter.com/BFg1G5SZen— Francisco Javier (@javier_matus)
May 5, 2015
Mr Zadnik said professional surfers had taken to social media, describing 10-metre waves far beyond what they had experienced before.
Many took to wearing special buoyancy vests to ensure they stayed afloat.
"The foam would have been two or three metres deep," Mr Zadnik said. Getting a breath between waves "can be problematic" in such conditions, he said.
