safety steps

Urgent – Marine Weather Message
Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services
8:00 pm Wednesday 18 October 2023

…Small craft advisory goes into effect for Antigua, Barbuda and Anguilla…

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

Timing: Thursday until Friday.

Synopsis: Fresh winds are expected to cause a combination of wind waves and wind swells to result in hazardous seas, especially 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: South-southeast at 22 to 41 km/h (12 to 22 knots; 14 to 25 mph), with strong gusts to 63 km/h (34 knots; 39 mph).

Seas (significant wave heights): 2.1 to 3.3 metres(7 to 11 feet), occasionally or locally reaching over 4 metres (14 feet).

Wind waves and or wind swells of 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 other media platforms for updates.

Forecaster: Dale Destin