safety steps

Urgent – Marine Weather Message
Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services
11:40 AM Thursday 07 July 2022

A Small Craft Advisory goes into effect Thursday night for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

Locations to be affected: Mainly open waters on the Atlantic sides of the islands out to 20 nautical miles.

Timing: This evening until Monday for Antigua and Barbuda, and late tonight until Monday for Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

Synopsis: A combination of wind waves and wind swells is expected to cause hazardous seas, especially for open waters on the Atlantic sides of the islands.

The threat level to the life, livelihood, property and infrastructure of mariners is forecast to rise to moderate to high with the potential for significant to extensive impacts.

A small craft advisory means that wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots and or wind waves and or wind swells of 7 feet or greater are occurring or imminent.

Winds over open waters: East at 22 to 37 km/h (12 to 20 knots; 14 to 23 mph), with strong gusts to around 57 km/h (31 knots; 36 mph).

Seas (significant wave heights): 1.5 to 2.5 metres (5 to 8 feet), occasionally or locally reaching near 3 metres (10 feet).

Wind waves and or wind swells: 1.5 to 2.5 metres or 5 to 8 feet and occasionally higher. The dominant wind wave period is 6 to 9 seconds.

Potential Impacts: Loss of life at sea; injuries to mariners; capsize or damage or loss of vessels and marine equipment; financial losses; disruption of fisheries and scarcity of fish products and disruption to marine transportation.

Caution: Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions.

Please continue to monitor these hazardous, life-threatening marine conditions.

Stay tuned to updates coming out of the Met Office via antiguamet.com, facebook.com/abmetservice and twitter.com/abmetservice. Also, stay tuned to other media platforms for updates.

Forecaster: Dale Destin