Throughout Friday morning and early afternoon, Barbados is expected to be impacted by large waves along its northern coastlines as a result of a low-pressure system in the Atlantic.
Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services Sabu Best is therefore urging sea bathers, surfers and small craft operators to take extreme caution.
In a statement issued Thursday, Best said while events like these are expected to happen occasionally around this time of year, they can create hazardous marine conditions along the shore.
As a result, Best urged Babadians to take note of the advisories issued by the Barbados Meteorological Service.
“Large swells should be propagating into the marine area like in the Speightstown area, Holetown area and Mullins area. This should generate swells somewhere between 1 to 1.5 metres and it’s going to create some large breaking waves coming into the shore,” said Best.
“Don’t go into the water, you can stay on the shore and watch the waves rolling in and you can learn a lot from how it actually comes and goes.
“Sometimes you see this large breaking wave and then it settles down and that can lure someone into the water if you didn’t know before that they were breaking really big,” he stated.
In the event that persons do venture onto beaches and into the water, Best recommended that they ensure there’s a lifeguard on duty. Additionally, he encouraged members of the public to observe the flags along the beaches with warning signs.
As for surfers who may want to take advantage of the big waves, the director strongly advised against surfing these waves due to the many rip currents that will be present.
While surfers will still want to go into the water, Best said: “Make sure you manage your risks well, ensure that you move with someone who is experienced, and ensure that you have some plan of recovery if something happens.”
According to the Barbados Meteorological Service, seas are expected to be moderate to rough in open water with swells ranging from 2.5 to 3.0 meters (8 to 10 ft).
Additionally, persons and businesses along the western coasts should be particularly cautious and on alert for significant breaking wave action stretching from Half Moon Fort, St. Lucy expanding southwards towards Brandons Beach, St. Michael.
Noting that there have been tragic incidents due to the large swells that have affected the island in the past two years, Best said it is saddening for individuals to lose their life in such events.
Hence, he gave the assurance that the BMS is doing all it can to make Barbadians and visitors to the islands aware of what’s possible and what’s going to happen.
As he addressed fisherfolk, the director recommended that they continue to ensure that they employ all the safety measures, lifejackets, and other procedures they would typically put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.
He also advised against docking boats and other pleasure crafts close to the shore.
“With large breaking waves coming close to shore, anchoring boats very close to the shoreline might not be a good idea because those big waves can actually bring their boats up onto the shore, maybe cause a bit of damage and may break their moorings,” he said.
Nonetheless, Best said the large waves will be a one-day event and the public should see a deterioration in sea swells into the weekend.
The high-surf and small craft advisory will remain in place until Saturday.(BB)
