62-foot wave in the North Atlantic Ocean,
more than 2 feet higher than the largest
ever recorded, the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) confirms. A research
buoy registered the wave in 2013 during
an intense cold front that sent 50-mile-perhour
winds roaring across the seas between
Iceland and the U.K.—an area known for
“weather bombs,” extreme storms that stir
up towering ocean swells. The winds triggered
a set of 10 to 15 waves that averaged
62.3 feet in height, reports Smithsonian
.com. Verifying those findings required
painstaking analysis and cross-checking,
researchers say, which accounts for the
delay in releasing the buoy data. “It is a
remarkable record,” says WMO Assistant
Secretary-General Wenjian Zhang. “It highlights
the importance of meteorological and
ocean observations and forecasts to ensure
the safety of the global maritime industry
and to protect the lives of crew and passengers
on busy shipping lanes.”