Urgent – Marine Weather Message
Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services
9:15 am Saturday 18 March 2023

…Small craft advisory in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis…
…Small craft advisory goes into effect later this morning for Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands…

Small craft advisory goes into effect this afternoon for Montserrat…

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

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

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-northeast at 26 to 37 km/h (14 to 20 knots; 16 to 23 mph), with strong gusts to 60 km/h (32 knots; 37 mph).

Seas (significant wave heights): 2 to 3.4 metres (7 to 11 feet), occasionally or locally reaching near 4 metres (14 feet).

Wind waves and or wind swells: 1.5 to 2.1 metres or 5 to 7 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 ABS Television/Radio along with other media platforms for updates.

Forecaster: Dale Destin