Don’t be deceived by New Jersey’s beautiful sky and comfortable 80-degree temperatures this weekend.
Beachgoers are being cautioned by forecasters that the water will remain turbulent throughout Saturday, with dangerous rip currents and choppy surf conditions predicted to last at least through Saturday night and perhaps into Sunday.
The National Weather Service’s New Jersey office offers this warning for anyone thinking about swimming in the Atlantic today: IF YOU GO IN THE WATER, YOU ARE RISKING YOUR LIFE!
Indeed, the weather service emphasized the gravity of the threat by writing this in all caps.
In its most recent advisory on Hurricane Erin, the National Hurricane Center reiterated the risk posed by the choppy waves. Despite being hundreds of miles distant from the eastern United States, the storm is still churning up the water with top sustained winds of 90 mph.
The National Hurricane Center said Friday that Erin is still a very powerful hurricane. Many beaches on the U.S. East Coast will probably continue to be unsafe for swimming for a few more days.
There is a very high chance that a tropical disturbance in the central Atlantic may form during the next few days and develop into a tropical storm, according to forecasts.
Forecasters believe the new storm, which would be named Fernand, might approach quite close to the island chain or make landfall in Bermuda, but it is not anticipated to directly threaten the eastern United States.
High breaking waves of three to five feet are predicted on Saturday at Jersey Shore beaches. The weather service warned that there will continue to be a significant risk of hazardous rip currents.
Two swimmers drowned on the Jersey Shore in recent weeks, putting beach towns on high alert.
On August 11, a man drowned at an unsecured Seaside Heights beach after becoming entangled in a rip current. Following the departure of lifeguards from the Belmar beach, a teenage girl drowned while swimming last week.
Looking ahead, Saturday’s high temperatures in New Jersey are predicted to reach the low 80s, with largely sunny skies.
Current weather radar
Weather reports
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Widespread storms and a cold front to bring cooler, drier weather to central Pa.
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Beaches reopen in Outer Banks and New York after Hurricane Erin
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Beloved Jersey Shore landmark vanishes during Hurricane Erin
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Weekend forecast: Sunny Saturday, rainy Sunday across central Pa.
