Hazardous Marine Conditions Expected Throughout the Week; Rain, Thunderstorms Possible

The National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has explained that marine conditions around the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico will be hazardous through at least the end of the week. Rainfall and isolated thunderstorms are also expected across the local islands.

“Over the next few days, the primary hazards will be focused on life-threatening rip currents and hazardous marine conditions for small craft, driven by northeasterly swells and strengthening winds,” according to an update from the NWS on Wednesday. “These winds will bring breezy to locally windy conditions to land areas,” it continued.

The NWS explained that powerful northeasterly swells, combined with gusty winds out of the east-northeast, will cause wave heights to increase up to 10 feet or higher.

“Rough and hazardous seas, driven by northeasterly swells and locally strong winds, will create life-threatening rip current conditions for beachgoers along the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico’s northern and northeastern-facing beaches,” the NWS warned. “As additional pulses of northeasterly swells move through the region, these dangerous conditions [are expected to] persist through at least late Thursday and may spread to other surf zone areas,” the NWS added.

Marine alerts have been issued for portions of both Puerto Rico and the USVI, including a High Rip Current Risk and a Small Craft Advisory until at least 6 p.m. on Friday.

Regarding rip current safety, the NWS offered the following information and tips for residents and visitors across the region:

“Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, which occur most often at low spots or breaks in the sandbar and in the vicinity of structures such as jetties and piers. Heed the advice of lifeguards, beach patrol flags and signs. If you become caught in a rip current, yell for help. Remain calm, do not exhaust yourself and stay afloat while waiting for help. If you have to swim out of a rip current, swim parallel to shore and back toward the beach when possible. Do not attempt to swim directly against a rip current, as you will tire quickly.”

In addition to choppy seas, the NWS has alerted the public to the possibility of an increased risk of rainfall along with thunderstorms over the coming days. It said minor flooding will be possible as abundant tropical moisture passes over the islands through next week.

“Elevated moisture levels and favorable conditions will continue to support the risk of heavy rainfall and potential flooding, with isolated thunderstorms also possible,” the NWS explained. “As we move into the weekend, wet and unstable conditions will return, [and] this unsettled weather is expected to last into early next week, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day likely to be especially rainy,” it said.

Under the expected weather pattern, residents and visitors across the local islands can anticipate moderate to locally heavy rain each day, especially across the windward locations early in the morning and overnight, the NWS noted.

Weather forecast information and severe weather alerts are available from the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency’s website and the National Weather Service.

The Source Weather Page also publishes a daily weather forecast and offers readers the opportunity to view weather forecast videos and disaster preparedness video segments.