The high-tide phenomenon with huge waves that hit some beaches in Terengganu was reported as the worst ever in the past 50 years.

Among the districts hit by this phenomenon that is forecast to last until next month is Dungun, where part of the Teluk Lipat beach has been eroded by the huge waves.

A check by Bernama found that not only scores of Casuarina trees had fallen but part of the main road linking the users to a nearby educational institution was also damaged by the waves.

The strong, five-metre-high waves which hit the coastline for three kilometres damaged the road, forcing it to be closed to all vehicles to avoid any untoward incident.

A foodstall operator, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, 50, said part of the road gradually collapsed over the past four days due to erosion.

He said having been running the eatery for 26 years now, this was the worst huge-wave phenomenon that had happened, causing the people to be worried.

“This area is hit by huge waves each year but not to the extent of damaging the road and uprooting trees.

“What is worrying is that the phenomenon is expected to continue for several days, with the sea water having risen to the road level and is only a few metres away from the shops here,” he told reporters yesterday.

Trader Rosli Busu, 42, hoped the relevant parties could solve the problem immediately as the situation was dangerous to road users, especially at night.

He said despite the warning signs placed along the road, the embankment work needed to be carried out fast as the high-tide phenomenon had been forecast to be worse from last night.

“We fear that if the waves erode the soil under the road structure, it can cause a cave-in,” he said.

The beach area for the past few days had been flooded with people who were excited to watch the huge waves which destroyed some parts of the beach.

- Bernama