The National Weather Service in Tampa has issued warnings for several coastal counties in Florida due to a high risk of rip currents and an active high surf advisory. According to NWS Tampa Bay, conditions will persist throughout the day, urging inexperienced swimmers to stay clear of the water.
The advisory, spanning Pinellas through Coastal Lee counties, indicates dangerous rip currents and large breaking waves of 2 to 9 feet expected in the surf zone. The NWS stated, "For the High Rip Current Risk, through this evening. For the High Surf Advisory, from 4 AM to 7 PM EST." While today's weather may seem welcoming with a forecast of sunny skies and a high reaching 64 degrees, the underlying tumult of the ocean advises caution, Northwest winds are gusting at speeds that contribute to the precarious situation.
Local officials have taken measures to alert the public, with notices posted in the affected areas and lifeguards briefed on the heightened risks. Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from the shore that can quickly take swimmers out to deeper waters. The NWS advice for those who might find themselves caught in a rip current is to "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."
