Urgent – Marine Weather Message; Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services
6:45 PM Wednesday 03 August 2022

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat and Anguilla. A Small Craft Advisory will likely go into effect within 36 hours for some other areas.

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

Timing: Until Sunday for Montserrat and until Monday for Antigua, Barbuda and Anguilla.

Synopsis: A combination of wind waves and wind swells is causing 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 moderate with the potential for significant 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 24 to 37 km/h (13 to 20 knots; 15 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 5 feet and occasionally higher. The dominant wind wave period is 6 to 9 seconds. The highest seas will be on Saturday/Sunday.

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