This is a tidal level, measured from mean sea level rather than from the river bed. Tidal levels are not necessarily updated frequently, and may not reflect tidal movements throughout the day. The usual range of the Thames Tideway at Richmond is between -0.95m and 4.69m.
Because the Earth rotates through two tidal “bulges” every lunar day, coastal areas experience two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes . High tides occur 12 hours and 25 minutes apart. It takes six hours and 12.5 minutes for the water at the shore to go from high to low, or from low to high.
There are three basic tidal patterns – diurnal, semidiurnal, and mixed. Diurnal tides are characterized by one high and low tide a day.
The predicted tide times today on Friday 01 January 2021 for Littlehampton are: first high tide at 00:23am, first low tide at 6:29am, second high tide at 12:35pm, second low tide at 6:48pm. Sunrise is at 8:03am and sunset is at 4:07pm.
Tides for 2021-01-03
|Type of tide||Time (GMT)||Height (metres)|
For swimmers , the water is safest during a slack tide , during which the water moves very little. A slack tide happens in the hour preceding or following a high or low tide . During high tide , the waves break too close to shore to offer much of a ride. During low tide , uncovered rocks or seaweed may get in the way.
Tides are caused mainly by the Sun and Moon. The Sun and Moon attract the sea by gravitation. When the tide goes out , the water moves to a place between the sun and the moon which is out at sea, away from the beach.
King tides are a normal occurrence once or twice every year in coastal areas. In the United States, they are predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Learn more about tides from NOAA by using their Tides and Currents map.
Smaller tides , called neap tides , are formed when the earth, sun and moon form a right angle. This causes the sun and moon to pull the water in two different directions. Neap tides happen during a quarter or three-quarter moon.
When the highest part, or crest of the wave reaches a particular location, high tide occurs; low tide corresponds to the lowest part of the wave, or its trough. The difference in height between the high tide and the low tide is called the tidal range.
It is important to know if the tide is coming in or going out. When the tide comes in ( high tide ) the whole beach can be covered by water .
The mile long sand and shingle beach at Littlehampton is everything you would expect from a long established seaside resort. There is a promenade, amusements, theme park, well maintained seafront gardens and even the UK’s longest bench.
High tides and low tides are caused by the Moon. The Moon’s gravitational pull generates something called the tidal force. The tidal force causes Earth—and its water—to bulge out on the side closest to the Moon and the side farthest from the Moon. These bulges of water are high tides .