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Rough seas, dangerous jellyfish seen until Wednesday afternoon
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Posted on Jan 04 2023
The public is being warned about the presence of Indo-Pacific man-o-war jellyfish in all beaches and surf zones of the Marianas through Wednesday afternoon. Also, a small craft advisory remains in effect until 6pm Wednesday.
Based on the information received from the National Weather Service in Guam and compiled at the CNMI Emergency Operations Center State Warning Point, dangerous rip currents are also present along east facing reefs through Wednesday afternoon.
Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water.
Contact with Indo-Pacific man-o-war, alive or dead, can cause extreme pain and may be fatal in some cases.
An elevated trade swell will keep the rip current risk high along east facing reefs through at least Wdnesday afternoon. Man-o-war have been reported washed up on north facing beaches in Guam, including Tarague Beach. Man-o-war may still be found on beaches and the waters of the Marianas.
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions. Avoid making contact with men-o-war that have washed up on beaches, especially when bubbles can be seen.
The public is advised to stay out of the water along all reef lines. Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don’t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. Even if men- o-war are not found along the beach, they could still be out in the water.
The public is being warned of east to northeast winds of 15 to 20 knots with frequent gust of up to 25 knots in Marianas coastal waters until 6pm Wednesday. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
Winds will remain elevated and hazardous to small craft across all of the Marianas, but may briefly drop below criteria level Tuesday night. Seas may occasionally reach hazardous levels near showers.
A small craft advisory means that wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots are expected to produce wave conditions hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid boating in hazardous conditions. (PR)
