Rogue Waves Sweep 30 People Out to Sea in Taiwan Every Year

Rogue waves are a naturally occurring phenomenon, usually appearing far out to sea, and categorized as waves measuring twice the size of those around them.

They are difficult to predict, erratic, and typically they are far away from any coast or people, causing minimal harm to humans. However, in Taiwan, apparently, they are a problem. According to theTaipei Timesan average of 17 rogue waves annually, sweeping an average of 30 people per year out to sea.

And so, officials have developed a system to mitigate those casualties.

As perTimes,"The Central Weather Administration (CWA) and National Cheng Kung University have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system to predict rogue waves, which is expected to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year, the agency said yesterday."

By the sound of it, these "rogue waves" that they are dealing with are more likely larger set waves, perhaps coupled with a high tide, which hit crowded coastal areas. By contrast, scientists have been studying the more traditional rogue waves - the ones that break out to sea, and appear to be an anomaly among other swells in their vicinity.

Related: 60-Foot Rogue Wave Captured in the Pacific Ocean (Video)

Like in Canada, where awave the size of a six-story building struck off the coast in 2020, which prompted scientists to look into the rarity:

Once dismissed as a maritime myth, rogue waves are now increasingly being recorded in Canadian waters," the scientists said. "A network of AI-powered buoys off the coast of B.C. is capturing these giants in real time. Johanna Wagstaffe meets the engineer developing new tools to understand - and maybe one day forecast - their chaotic nature.

As for the new monitoring operation coming to Taiwan, they are hoping to predict rogue waves 24 hours in advance. TheTimescontinued:

The system, which began development in 2017, uses cameras to monitor the coast and identify abnormal waves, combining information with data provided by the CWA's wave models and an AI prediction model to assess the likelihood of a rogue wave occurring within 24 hours.

Related: 20-Foot Rogue Wave Shorebreak Kills Beachgoer (Video)