Tidal wave off British coast measuring six-storeys high makes history as largest EVER
A TERRIFYING wave spotted off the coast of Great Britain has been named the "largest ever" in history.
The 62-footer was detected in the North Atlantic in a remote spot between Iceland and the UK on February 4 2013, the World Meteorological Organisation revealed on Tuesday.
Taller than a six-storey building, the tidal wave was caused by a “strong cold front” with winds of up to 50mph.
The "highest significant wave height as measured by a buoy" smashed a previous record of 59.65ft in the North Atlantic in December 2007, WMO added.
Using the automated buoy data, scientists calculated its height by measuring the distance of the crest of one wave to the trough of the next.
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The super-smart buoys dotted about our oceans also collect information on sea swells, currents and temperatures.
The data can be used by oceanographers, trawlers and climate researchers.
This weeks announcement surrounds just one of many treacherous waves spotted every year in the North Atlantic during winter.
It is a prime spot for rips that lead to catastrophic "intense extra-tropical storms" which are often dubbed weather "bombs".
Tidal waves like this are not to be confused with tsunamis often seen in south-east Asia.
Tsunamis are never influenced by tides, but by seismic activity off the coast which pushes a huge wave onto the coast.
Read more about tsunamis and how they are formed here.
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