High winds bring hazards

Boaters and beachgoers face rough seas and risk of rip currents

Boaters and beachgoers, be careful. With the wind expected to pick up in South Florida this week, the National Weather Service is warning of hazardous wave conditions in the Atlantic and the risk of rip currents along local beaches.

On Tuesday, the weather service’s local branch issued a small craft advisory — a warning that boating conditions could be dangerous — in effect from Tuesday at 8 p.m. through 8 p.m. Friday.

“The boaters could see some very hazardous marine conditions,” said meteorologist Maria Torres, of the National Weather Service Miami-South Florida forecast office. “The main thing is, the conditions are going to be deteriorating.”

Winds from the east northeast are forecast to reach 20 to 25 knots (23 to 28 mph) by Wednesday, according to the advisory. Gusts could also reach 34 mph.

Waves were expected to reach 3 to 5 feet, occasionally 6 feet, in the Atlantic off Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach, and 4 to 6 feet, occasionally 8 feet, off Deerfield Beach south to Ocean Reef in Key Largo.

As the winds will continue to strengthen through the week, the seas will continue to become rougher, particularly Wednesday through Friday, when waves will range from between 5 and 9 feet off Jupiter Inlet and south, with some occasionally topping 11 feet on Wednesday night through Thursday and 10 feet Thursday night, forecasters said.

Off Deerfield Beach and south to Key Largo, seas are expected to range between 4 and 9 feet, with some occasionally reaching 11 feet on Wednesday night and Thursday and 10 feet Thursday night.

The weather service is warning operators of watercraft to be careful,

and urging inexperienced boaters, especially those who use smaller vessels, to avoid going out altogether.

“It will make it more difficult, especially for the inexperienced mariner,” Torres said.

As well, with those winds will come the potential for rip currents. Rip currents are strong, narrow channels of water that move fast away from the shore. They can be life-threatening, and any swimmer caught in one should swim parallel to the shore instead of trying to swim against it.

Rip currents were a moderate risk Tuesday, and that risk was expected to heighten on Wednesday.

“The high risk of rip currents may persist through the remainder of the week,” according to a Tuesday afternoon forecast discussion posted on the National Weather Service website.

It also won’t be as warm as usual for this time of year.

“Temperatures will top out in the low to mid 80s today, a few degrees below normal for this time of year,” according to the forecast discussion.

Today is expected to be partly cloudy from Homestead through West Palm Beach, while tomorrow should be similar, although Torres said there will be about a 15 percent chance of showers in Palm Beach and Broward counties.