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High tides have made the famous Mont Saint-Michel mount in north-west France an island again, with a near-record high tide. It is a phenomenon that only happens for a few days per year.

With a high tide coefficient of 117 in 120, since yesterday (March 12), it has been impossible to cross on foot. High vehicles can just about get through, and have been pulling tourists across on dinghies. Shallow-bottomed boats have also been crossing to the famous Normandy monument.

The chance of the phenomenon increases depending on the Earth-Moon-Sun alignment, and the mount can become an island in just a few hours as the water rises. As the spring equinox approaches, these three celestial bodies are almost aligned.

A view shows Mont Saint-Michel surrounded by sea during a high tide, in the French western region of , .

鈥� Hans Solo (@thandojo)

Just short of 鈥榯ide of the century鈥�

In comparison to this episode, the 鈥榯ide of the century鈥� identified in 2015 had a coefficient of 119, with more than 14 metres of difference between the low tide and the peak high tide. The scale goes from 20 to 120, and a 鈥榖ig tide (grande mar茅e)鈥� is identified when the coefficient is higher than 90.

One tourist, Victor Ducoulombier, : 鈥淚t鈥檚 strange to see Mont Saint-Michel become an island again. I come here every year, I regularly cross on foot, but seeing it become an island again is always impressive. It鈥檚 a strange atmosphere.鈥�

En images : le Mont Saint-Michel coup茅 du monde pendant la grande mar茅e

鈥� Paris Match (@ParisMatch)

Even people who regularly travel to the mount have been caught short.

Julie Dion, who works at the tourism office, said: 鈥淲hen you come to work, you have to calculate the timings to be able to cross, but today it鈥檚 so big, the tide is such a big tide, that nobody can cross. So, we wait!鈥�

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