Sea bathers, beware. A Hazardous Seas Alert (Yellow Level) has been issued for several coastlines of Trinidad and Tobago until 4:00 p.m. Monday, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS).
The alert goes into effect at 5:00 a.m. Friday for northern and northeastern exposed coastal areas of Trinidad and Tobago and to a lesser extent the north facing shoreline in the Gulf of Paria.
According to the TTMS, the alert is due to northerly long period swells that are expected to affect the coastlines of Trinidad and Tobago from early Friday morning and persist until Monday afternoon. The TTMS says, “While the effect will not be continuous over the period, the presence of spring tides will amplify the effect, resulting in occasional battering coastal waves especially during high tides.”
Waves in open waters remain between 1.5 and 2.0 metres, with moderate seas, while in sheltered areas, waves are near 1.0 metre and occasionally choppy.
The current yellow-level alert indicates that hazardous seas are likely, but the severity of impacts is moderate. You should be aware of the dangers in your area associated with large, battering waves.
For a moderate, yellow-level Hazardous Seas Alert, there is the potential for possible injuries, where behavioral changes are required to ensure safety. There may be minor property damage, with income-earning temporarily disrupted, and some communities are affected.
The TTMS advises that all marine interests should monitor near-shore sea conditions and exercise caution along affected areas especially at high tides and continue to monitor updates from official sites.
