Tide Times for Somnath

High tide is the moment when the sea reaches its highest point on the shore; low tide is when it pulls back to its lowest. The water level rises and falls because of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the ocean. Between a high tide and the next low tide the sea drops continuously over about six hours; then it rises again for the next six. The vertical difference between the two is called the tidal range and it varies day to day with the moon's phase and your location on the coast.

Most of the Indian coast experiences a semidiurnal tide cycle — two high tides and two low tides every lunar day of roughly 24 hours and 50 minutes. The two highs in a day are not always equal: one is usually a little higher than the other, an effect called diurnal inequality. A small number of locations worldwide see only one high and one low per day (a diurnal pattern), but the Indian mainland coast is broadly semidiurnal.

Each tide arrives about 50 minutes later than the one before because the moon takes roughly 24 hours and 50 minutes to return to the same position above your point on the coast — not 24 hours flat. So today's high tide at 9:00 a.m. becomes tomorrow's at about 9:50 a.m. Over a fortnight the timing drifts across the whole clock. The height of the tide also changes through the lunar month as the sun and moon align (spring tides) or pull at right angles (neap tides).

Both, but the moon dominates. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser degree, the sun on the water in the oceans. The moon is much smaller than the sun but far closer, so its tide-raising force is about twice as strong. At new moon and full moon the sun and moon pull along the same line and combine for the largest tides of the fortnight (spring tides). At the quarter moons they pull at right angles and partially cancel, giving the smallest tides (neap tides).

A king tide is the highest predicted tide of the year — or one of a small handful of unusually high tides that occur when the sun, moon, and earth line up at the closest point of their orbits. On the Indian coast these usually fall around the new and full moons closest to the equinoxes (March and September). King tides are entirely predictable; they are not the same as a storm surge, which is a separate weather-driven event that can ride on top of any tide.

A tide chart is a small graph and table for one location and one day. The curve shows water level over time: the peaks are high tides, the troughs are low tides. The table next to it lists the exact time and height for each. Read it left to right: find the current time, see whether the curve is rising (incoming tide) or falling (outgoing tide), and look ahead to the next peak or trough to plan around it.

The widget on the Tide Info page shows the high and low tide times for your selected coastal location for the next few days, along with the tide height at each turn, the marine forecast (wave height, swell, wind), the current UV index, and solunar windows that are considered favourable for fishing. It is a single-screen summary you can check before heading to the beach.

Tides travel along a coastline as a wave, and the shape of the seabed, the angle of the shore, river mouths, and bays all change how fast and how high the water arrives. Two beaches even fifty kilometres apart can see the same high tide separated by half an hour or more, and the heights can differ by a metre. This is why a tide chart should always be read for the specific location you are visiting, not a generic regional one.

A solunar window is a short period each day — typically tied to moonrise, moonset, and the overhead and underfoot positions of the moon — that traditional solunar tables consider especially active for fish and wildlife. Coastal anglers use it alongside the tide chart to pick a launch time. The widget surfaces it so beach fishermen can pair a favourable tide with a favourable solunar window in one glance.

UV index runs from 0 to 11+. Values of 0–2 are low, 3–5 are moderate, 6–7 are high, 8–10 are very high, and 11+ is extreme. A UV index of 5 or below is comfortable for most beach activity with regular sunscreen. From 6 upward, broad-spectrum sunscreen, a hat, and shade between roughly 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. become important — especially for children and fair-skinned visitors. The Indian coast frequently sits in the 8–11 range from March through September.

UV at the coast is typically higher than inland for two reasons: there are no trees or buildings blocking the sun, and water and wet sand reflect a portion of the UV back upward, so you are hit from both directions. A clear-sky UV index of 9 inland can effectively act like a 10 or 11 on the beach. Cloud cover does not block UV reliably — light cloud can even scatter UV downward more strongly. Plan sun protection based on the printed UV index, not on how warm or cloudy it feels.

A marine forecast describes near-shore sea conditions for the next few hours and days: wave height, wave period, swell direction, wind speed and direction, and sometimes water temperature. Unlike a city weather forecast it tells you whether the water itself will be safe and pleasant. Two-metre waves with a short period and onshore wind make for rough, dangerous swimming even on a sunny day; the marine forecast is what surfaces that.

Tide predictions are astronomical and extremely accurate — the time and height of high and low tide can be calculated decades in advance to within minutes. Marine forecasts (waves, swell, wind) are weather-driven and reliable for about three to five days; beyond that the uncertainty grows. UV index is calculated for clear-sky conditions and can be reduced by heavy cloud or pollution. Always cross-check the forecast against what you actually see when you arrive at the beach.

A rip current is a narrow, fast-moving channel of water flowing from the shore back out to sea, formed where waves pile water up against the beach and that water finds a path to escape. Rips are strongest around low tide and through the turn between low and incoming tide, because more of the seabed is exposed and water funnels through gaps in sandbars. If you are caught in one, do not swim against it — swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then back in.

Watch for a channel of darker, choppier water cutting through the surf with foam and debris streaming seawards — that is a rip. A rapidly rising water level that covers footprints faster than you expect signals an incoming spring tide. Local red flags, lifeguard whistles, and posted warning boards are the most reliable signals; respect them. If the wave pattern, sound, or colour of the water suddenly changes, leave the water and move to higher ground.

Most Indian beaches are safe to visit during high tide if you stay above the wet sand line and do not enter the water in flagged-unsafe sections. Risk goes up at high tide because the beach narrows, waves break closer to walls and rocks, and rip currents can develop as the tide turns. Beaches with steep drop-offs, river mouths, or rocky outcrops deserve extra caution. Always check the marine forecast and any local lifeguard postings before swimming.

Monsoon (June–September on the west coast, October–December on the east) brings high seas, strong onshore winds, and elevated rip-current risk on top of the regular tide cycle. Many state authorities prohibit swimming on specific beaches during monsoon months — these notices are legally binding. Do not enter the water during a monsoon high tide even at a normally safe beach; stay well back from the waterline, watch children at all times, and avoid rocky promontories where sneaker waves can hit.