Small craft warning for Jamaica as waves exceed 9 feet above offshore areas

According to Jamaica’s weather report, the winds in the sea swell will continuously affect the marine area within the next 36 hours.

Thursday, 8th February 2024

Small craft warning for Jamaica as waves exceed 9 feet above offshore areas (PC - Facebook)

Jamaica Meteorological Services (JMS) issued a small craft warning in marine conditions as wave heights exceeded nine (9) feet over the offshore areas. It shared that the warning is issued when continuous winds or sea swells reduce visibility by less than 5 km. According to Jamaica’s weather report, the winds in the sea swell will continuously affect the marine area within the next 36 hours. A high-pressure ridge in the North Atlantic, along with a surface trough in the western Caribbean, will continue to affect weather conditions across the region for the next two days. As per the forecast, it has been noted that the strong winds and rough seas constantly influence inshore and offshore areas of the north and south coasts. The fishers, sea bathers and other marine interests are advised to practice necessary precautions and avoid getting into the water. Only vessels capable of withstanding these swell magnitudes should venture into these waters. Key takeaways - Operation of smaller vessels can be difficult at this time due to large sea swells - Large open water swells can be hazardous to some vessels Additionally, some sections of Jamaica are witnessing bad weather due to a cold front that is passing the island. Just a day ago, a few areas experienced a flood-like situation in Jamaica. The regions, including Montego Bay, Downtown and St James, were flooded due to the rising of strong sea tides and heavy winds. According to the reports, some local businesses are highly affected by the overflow of water, including the famous eatery Pier 1. The shops are under flood waters, which is causing them to close. Moreover, the authorities urged people to remain on their premises and avoid getting out of their homes. Such conditions worsened the local businesses as they were shut down due to the flood waters. The current adverse weather conditions resulted in the collision of West End Road, forcing rough sea waters to gush onto the roadway.