By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

A huge surf, which according to the Emergency Management Office is “higher than average,” will persist off northern and eastern shores of Saipan until Thursday.
An EMO special marine advisory stated that a shear line across the Marianas will continue to bring wet weather over the next few days, but the wind and waves will begin to subside by midweek.
EMO Director Gregorio Deleon Guerrero said it is very important for the public to continue heeding the advisories.
“I think our surf is higher than average,” he said.
The wind waves, he added, normally reach six to eight feet.
But as of yesterday, wind waves were 12 to 14 feet high.
Deleon Guerrero said that usually, the surf gets this high only during a typhoon.
According to the EMO advisory, the long period north swells combined with wind waves will continue to bring huge surf to north and east facing reefs of the Mariana islands.
Some coastal erosion or property damage is possible in low lying areas, or where wave action is close to shore, the advisory stated.
The surf at high tide at around 9 a.m. yesterday affected Teteto Beach on Rota, Long Beach on Tinian and Achugau and Tank beaches on Saipan.
The high surf on Saipan, Deleon Guerrero said, usually hits Tank Beach and the Laolao area.
There is not so much risk in the frontal zones, he said, because Saipan has reefs protecting those sides.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, in an advisory, is “strongly advising” the general public, especially beachgoers, fishermen, tourists, swimmers, divers, surfers and boaters entering and leaving harbors, to exercise caution and note that rough conditions exist in the channels between the islands.
There’s a high risk of rip currents along north and east facing reefs, and these can be life-threatening to anyone entering the water and people should avoid venturing near the surf, the advisory added.