
Main points
- King tides each night from Tuesday to Sunday
- Council says don't park in low-lying areas
- Tidal flooding is saltwater which can damage cars on contact
Cairns Regional Council is urging people in low-lying parts of the city to be ready for king tides this week.
They’ll begin on Tuesday evening and continue through until Sunday night.
Some parts of the CBD, Portsmith, and the area around Saltwater Creek can be inundated during king tides.
Council said people should never drive through floodwaters and should avoid parking cars in low-lying tidal areas.
Tidal flooding is saltwater, which can damage cars on contact.
Council urged road users to drive carefully and slowly to reduce the impact of bow waves, which can push water into nearby properties.
The term “king tide” has no scientific meaning. It’s a popular term for the highest tides of the year, which happen around Christmas and during the winter or spring.
Winter king tides usually happen at night and are not as obvious as those at Christmas which generally occur during the day.
Each lunar month, the highest tides occur at the time of the new moon and the full moon, about every 14 days.
They’re called spring tides, and their height will vary, depending on other astronomical factors.
Those spring tides will be highest when the earth is closest to both the moon and the sun. That’s called a king tide.
Council said king tide levels for Cairns are expected at these times:
• Tuesday 6 September: 3.01m at 7.02pm
• Wednesday 7 September: 3.20m at 7.45pm
• Thursday 8 September: 3.32m at 8.24pm
• Friday 9 September: 3.32m at 9pm
• Saturday 10 September: 3.21m at 9.31pm
• Sunday 11 September: 3m at 10.01pm
King tides will occur at other locations around the far north. Check the Queensland tide tables for times and heights.