Meteorological services have escalated alert levels across multiple Caribbean territories with the issuance of an urgent High Surf Warning for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands. The advisory, formally released at 9:25 a.m. on Wednesday, December 24, highlights dangerously elevated surf conditions and potentially lethal rip currents predominantly affecting northern and north-exposed coastal areas.
Forecaster Letitia Humphreys indicated that the hazardous marine conditions stem from intensifying long-period northerly swells that began developing Wednesday evening. The warning period extends through Thursday morning or early dawn, with temporal variations expected across different island groups.
Oceanographic measurements project significant sea heights ranging from 2.4 to 3.1 meters (8-10 feet), with occasional surges approaching 3.7 meters (12 feet). Breaking waves are anticipated to surpass 2.1 meters (7 feet), accompanied by substantial north swells measuring 8-9 feet.
The convergence of these meteorological factors creates multiple threats including powerful battering waves, exceptionally strong rip currents, coastal flooding incidents, and accelerated beach erosion. These conditions present substantial risks to human safety, coastal infrastructure, and maritime operations.
Emergency management officials strongly advise against entering ocean waters along affected coastlines. Additional precautions include avoiding rocky coastal areas, jetties, and exposed marine structures. While west-facing beaches may offer marginally safer conditions, extreme vigilance remains necessary.
Safety protocols recommend that individuals caught in rip currents maintain calm, conserve energy by floating, and refrain from swimming directly against the current. Instead, swimming parallel to the shoreline provides the most effective escape strategy until free from the current’s pull.