Small Craft Advisory In Effect For St. Kitts And Nevis

Urgent – Marine Weather Message
Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services
9:15 am Saturday 04 February 2023

…Small Craft Advisory in effect for Antigua and Barbuda…
…Small Craft Advisory goes into effect Saturday night for Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands

…Small Craft Advisory goes into effect Sunday morning for St. Kitts and Nevis…

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

Timing: Until Sunday for Antigua and Barbuda; Saturday night until Sunday for Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands and Sunday morning until Monday morning for St. Kitts and Nevis.

Synopsis: A combination of wind waves and wind swells is causing hazardous seas. 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 26 to 41 km/h (14 to 22 knots; 16 to 25 mph), with strong gusts to as high as 63 km/h (34 knots; 39 mph). The highest sustained winds and gusts are expected on Sunday.

Seas (significant wave heights): 1.8 to 2.7 metres (6 to 9 feet), occasionally or locally reaching 3.5 metres (12 feet).

Wind waves and or wind swells: 1.5 to 2.4 metres or 5 to 8 feet and occasionally higher.

The highest seas will be on Sunday. 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.