safety steps

Urgent – Marine Weather Message
Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services
4:30 pm Friday 31 January, 2025

…Small craft advisory for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis…

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

Timing: Until Saturday night for Montserrat
Until Sunday night for Antigua and Barbuda
Until Sunday evening for Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands
From Saturday morning until midday for St. Kitts and Nevis

Synopsis: Fresh to strong winds associated with a tight pressure gradient, are generating a combination of wind waves and wind swells, resulting in hazardous seas, mainly on the eastern and
northern sides of the islands.

The threat level to the life, livelihood, property and infrastructure of mariners is to rise to 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 23 to 37 km/h (12 to 20 knots; 14 to 23 mph), with strong gusts to 57 km/h (31 knots; 36 mph).

Seas (significant wave heights): 1.8 to 3.1 metres(6 to 10 feet), occasionally or locally reaching near 3.7 metres (12 feet).

Wind waves and or wind swells of 2.1 to 2.4 metres or 7 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 from the Meteorological Office through antiguamet.com and Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @abmetservice. Also, stay tuned to ABS Radio and TV along with other media platforms for updates.

Forecaster: Letitia Humphreys