Urgent – Marine Weather Message Small Craft Advisory
Antigua and Barbuda Meteorológicarological Services issued a Small craft advisory Friday for the British Virgin Islands.
Locations to be affected: Mainly, open waters on the Atlantic sides of the islands out to 20 nautical miles.
Timing: Friday morning until Sunday for the British Virgin Islands.
Synopsis: Fresh to strong gusty winds are forecast to cause a combination of wind waves and wind swells, resulting in hazardous seas, mainly on the Atlantic 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 19 to 37 km/h (12 to 20 knots; 14 to 23 mph), with strong gusts to 59 km/h (32 knots; 37 mph).
Seas (significant wave heights): 1.5 to 2.4 metres (5 to 8 feet), occasionally or locally reaching near 3.0 metres (10 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.
