Largest 'rogue wave' on record confirmed off Canadian coast

A record-breaking 'rogue wave' that dwarfed all surrounding peaks occurred off the coast of Vancouver Island in 2020 it has been confirmed.

A buoy off the British Columbia coast was lifted by 58ft (18m) by the Ucluelet wave in November 2020, with such an event believed to only happen once every 1,300 years.

"Only a few rogue waves in high sea states have been observed directly, and nothing of this magnitude. The probability of such an event occurring is one in 1,300 years," Johannes Gemmrich, of the University of Victoria told CNN.

Rogue waves were long considered to be myths, until January 1995 when a 26-metre high wave (85ft) struck an oil drilling platform off the coast of Norway.

While the Ucluelet wave was not as tall as the Draupner wave off of Norway, its size relative to the waves around it was what landed it in the record books. Its magnitude was three times that of the waves surrounding it.

"Proportionally, the Ucluelet wave is likely the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded," added Dr Gemmrich.

Fortunately there was no reported damage from the Ucluelet rogue wave, as it occurred too far offshore.

"Rogue waves are generated by wind, so they are just a rare occurrence of wind generated waves. Whereas a tsunami is generated most commonly by an earthquake, underwater earthquake, or as we've seen recently a volcano eruption," Gemmrich stated.