Small craft, high surf advisories issued for some Caribbean islands

The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service has issued two marine weather messages – a small craft advisory and a high surf advisory for several islands in the Caribbean region.  

A small craft advisory is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla and the British Virgin Island until Saturday. Locations to be affected are mainly open waters on the Atlantic sides of the islands out to 20 nautical miles.  

The met office says fresh to strong 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. 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. 

Meanwhile, a high surf advisory is in effect for Montserrat until later today and for Antigua, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands until Monday.  

Locations to be affected includes reefs and exposed northern and north-facing coastlines with relatively shallow, gently to moderately sloping, nearshore areas. 

The met office says moderate long-period swells are reaching the area and causing hazardous conditions along mainly northern and north-facing coastlines.  

It notes the threat level to the life, livelihood, property and infrastructure of those using the affected coastlines is to rise to moderate with the potential for significant impacts.  

These swells could cause life threatening surfs and rip currents on affected coastlines.  

A high surf advisory means that dangerous surfs of 2 to 3 metres or 6 to 10 feet will affect some coastlines in the advisory area, producing hazardous conditions.