Stay out of the water. This was the warning from Chief Meteorologist Shakeer Baig yesterday, as the T&T Meteorological Service continues its rough seas bulletin into the weekend. Baig issued the warning in anticipation of crowds at popular North Coast beaches this weekend, since normally thousands flock to the seaside for a last lap cooler before schools reopen on Monday.
Baig is urging all beachgoers and those involved in marine activities to exercise caution if they choose to head to the beaches. He said rough seas continued to pound the North coast and were producing huge waves. “We are advising people who are actually going to the beach for fun to try and stay out of the water because these waves are very high, sometimes they are in excess of ten feet, which is three metres,” he said.
Baig said if a bather came into contact with those high waves they would be pulled into the ocean and might encounter strong currents. “Even (good) swimmers sometimes have difficulties getting out of these things and when we have instances like these we have rip tides/rip currents which are the types of currents that can drag you into the ocean or take you from one area to another. If you know you are going to the beach, stay out of the water,” Baig warned.
He said the Met Office was maintaining the rough seas bulletin and was advising everyone who would be going to the beach and residents along the coastline “to exercise all caution and stay away from the water, if they can.” The bulletin remained in effect, Baig said, since ground reports from the North Coast and other exposed coastlines indicated that the seas were still very rough.
Baig made a special plea to surfers, who enjoy rough seas because of the large waves, to exercise due care and follow instructions from lifeguards on duty.
Bulletin
The Meteorological Service says it expects sea conditions along the exposed coasts to continue to be moderate to rough. Wave heights are 2.5 to 3.0 metres along the exposed coastlines. This is attributed to relatively strong winds in the lower levels of thermosphere. These strong winds are currently agitating surfaces of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
It said Numerical Weather Prediction (NAP) models forecast similar conditions for at least the next 24 to 48 hours with wave heights in open waters reaching 2.5 to 3.0 metres near-shore for both islands but occasionally reaching in excess of 3.0 metres offshore for the northeast exposed coasts. As such rough seas will persist.
Seas in open waters will continue to be affected for at least the next 24 to 48 hours. Although wave heights in sheltered areas are below 1.0 metre, seas can become choppy at times. Additionally, conditions may become aggravated during high tides.”
The release said rough seas may lead to dangerous marine conditions, which will include localised disruption to sea bathing and sea travel by small crafts, as well as fishing boats. Fisher-folks and those living along the coast are warned of the possible occurrence of big waves associated with the system.
Citizens, especially those residing along coastal areas are advised to be on the alert for above normal sea conditions. All necessary measures must be taken to preserve life and property. Small craft operators, sea bathers and all other marine interests are asked to exercise extreme caution in any sea activities.
Fishermen: Rough seas a bad start to 2015
Some 18 families have suffered a total of $500,000 in losses as their boats have been either damaged or destroyed by the rough seas. General secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, Gary Aboud, said the rough seas had been devastating for Las Cuevas fisherfolk. He is calling on Government to help the fisherfolk on humanitarian grounds.
“Fishermen cannot obtain insurance on their vessels, engines and nets. We have lobbied for insurance and no government has done anything to help or support us. Our members are without insurance... How many business people have been operating without insurance?” Aboud contended. He said fisherfolk had never encountered such water before along the north coast, which exceeded storm surges. He said boats and engines had sunk since the rough seas began.
Aboud said the rough seas did not augur well for 2015, especially since the fisherfolk already had to contend with oil spill pollution, declining fishing stock and seismic testing around the island.
More Info
On December 27, the Met office issued its first rough seas bulletin. Baig explained that a low pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean led to disturbed seas to the north of T&T and northerly swells. Following that, he said, a sub-tropical high pressure system started to establish itself where the low system was in the Central Atlantic system and produced very strong easterly and north eastern winds that ontributed to the rough seas.
This, he said, was not unusual for this time of the year because the existence of the sub-tropical high pressure system heralded the start of the dry season. While he did not announce the official start of the dry season, Baig said T&T had been experiencing lots of strong surface winds from the high pressure system, which were producing rough seas and high waves.