Unusually high waves have hit the northern coast of Peru. Videos from social media show the "monster waves" hitting the coast of the South American country in the Pacific Ocean, writes The Sun, quoted by dariknews.bg.
Fishing boats can be seen being smashed to pieces, while other videos show the waves entering inland and flooding the coast.
The waves, which have repeatedly flooded the country, are more than three times larger than usual due to a rare meteorological phenomenon. More than 80 ports along the country's central and northern coasts have been closed.
Waves of nearly 3 meters high have caused flooding in the resort of Lobitos, with hotels and restaurants among those affected.
At least six fishing boats have been sunk in the popular surfing destination.
The Peruvian navy has warned that wave heights in some areas will triple.
The waves are due to unusual weather conditions, known locally as "maretazo", which experts attribute to sea winds.
Initially, 30 ports were announced to be closed from Friday (December 27) to next Wednesday (January 1), after which the decision was made to increase the number of closed ports to 81.
Captain Enrique Varea, head of the Peruvian Navy's Hydrographic Directorate, said: "Today we expect the waves to reach their maximum intensity in the north and center of the country".
"The ports are closed and we ask people, including fishermen and tourists, to be careful and not go near the water in the affected areas".