Advertisement

Riptides Possible In Mass., R.I. From Tropical Storm

The National Weather Service is warning swimmers about possible riptide currents in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as Tropical Storm Bertha passes within a few hundred miles of southern New England.

The Weather Service says the threat of rip currents will continue into Wednesday evening for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, the south coast of Rhode Island and Block Island.

Forecasters say Bertha will be moving east of New England through the day and is expected to bring swells of 5 to 8 feet.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is advising swimmers to check surf conditions, heed the advice of lifeguards and not swim alone.

"The winds are much bigger, much wider, and certainly have an impact on the ocean," MEMA spokesman Peter Judge told WBUR. "So even though it is that far away, we're not worrying about hurricane conditions or tropical storm conditions, but it certainly does churn up the sea."

Riptides are powerful channels of water flowing away from shore that can be dangerous to swimmers.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom

This article was originally published on August 06, 2014.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close