Alert archive / Florida / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 6, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

January 31, 20266 counties in Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this rip current statement at Jan 31, 2026, 2:57 AM EST for 6 counties in Florida. It took effect at Jan 31, 2026, 10:00 AM EST. It was in force for 33 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 31, 2026, 2:57 AM EST (07:57 UTC)
In effect from
Jan 31, 2026, 10:00 AM EST
Expired
Feb 1, 2026, 7:00 PM EST
In force
33 hr
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL

Counties Charlotte County, FL, Hillsborough County, FL, Lee County, FL, Manatee County, FL, Pinellas County, FL, Sarasota County, FL

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:57 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 00:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 43 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2026-01-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2026-01-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 35 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1718 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

562 
WHUS42 KTBW 310757
CFWTBW

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
257 AM EST Sat Jan 31 2026

FLZ050-151-155-160-162-165-311600-
/O.NEW.KTBW.SU.Y.0002.260131T1800Z-260202T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KTBW.RP.S.0006.260131T1500Z-260202T0000Z/
Pinellas-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Manatee-Coastal Sarasota-
Coastal Charlotte-Coastal Lee-
257 AM EST Sat Jan 31 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM EST THIS MORNING
THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM
EST SUNDAY...

* WHAT...For the High Rip Current Risk, dangerous rip currents
  expected. For the High Surf Advisory, large breaking waves of 5
  to 7 feet expected in the surf zone.

* WHERE...Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, 
  Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee Counties.

* WHEN...For the High Rip Current Risk, from 10 AM EST this 
  morning through Sunday evening. For the High Surf Advisory, 
  from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM EST Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and 
  localized beach erosion. Rip currents can sweep even the best 
  swimmers away from shore into deeper water.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to
dangerous surf conditions.

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, 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.

&&

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 31, 2:57 AM ESTHigh Surf AdvisoryTBWCharlotte, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota40 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Florida, 2026Every rip current statement in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.