Rip Current in Puerto Rico, July 25, 2022

Name: Rip Current in Puerto Rico, July 25, 2022
Start: 2022-07-25T16:50
End: 2022-07-25T18:00
Location: Puerto Rico

July 25, 2022 · NWS SJU · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Moderate to fresh trade winds maintained choppy to hazardous seas along the Atlantic waters. A high risk of rip currents was in effect for northern PR, Vieques, Culebra and St.

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SJU wrote it up.

Moderate to fresh trade winds maintained choppy to hazardous seas along the Atlantic waters. A high risk of rip currents was in effect for northern PR, Vieques, Culebra and St. Croix.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS San Juan, PR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 25, 4:44 PM AST, 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 4:44 PM AST, 6 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Juan PR
444 PM AST Mon Jul 25 2022

.SYNOPSIS...Saharan Air Layer (SAL) and a mass of drier air will
continue to enter the Caribbean basin tonight. Mainly fair weather
conditions with hazy skies are expected. Breezy conditions will
prevail for the next several days, along with heat indices that could
peak into the lower 100s each afternoon.

&&

.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday...

Haze, strong winds with higher gusts, and heat indices above 100
degrees are the main weather hazards during the short-term
period. A strong surface high pressure located in the north
Atlantic, continue to maintain breezy to windy conditions across
the local area. A Saharan Air Layer (SAL) and a mass of drier air
will continue to enter the Caribbean basin tonight. Mainly fair
weather conditions with hazy skies will be observed. By early
Tuesday, some trade passing showers could develop, but quickly
dissipating over the windward portions of Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands. Then, during the afternoon hours diurnal
heating, local effects, and available moisture could still support
convection over western Puerto Rico with showers and isolated
thunderstorm. By Wednesday onwards, an induced trough located
north of the area, will increase the shower frequency. Although
Saharan dust will be present, concentrations will start to
decrease. Expect a more seasonal weather pattern with scattered
showers. Overnight minimum temperatures will fall into the mid to
upper 60s across higher elevations and the mid 70s to lower 80
degrees across the coastal areas. Maximum daytime temperatures
will reach the upper 80s to lower 90s across lower elevations and
urban areas, where heat indices could peak the lower to mid 100s.

.LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday...

PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 457 AM AST Mon Jul 25 2022/

The inherited weather forecast is still on track. A more seasonal
weather pattern is expected to prevail across the forecast area,
with passing showers affecting the eastern portions of Puerto Rico
during the morning and showers with thunderstorms across the western
and central interior municipalities during the afternoon. A
generally easterly surface wind flow will prevail through the end of
the week. Expect this typical weather pattern to remain through at
least the end of the workweek. On Friday, conditions will gradually
deteriorate as the tropical wave approaches the islands. This will
cause winds to vary in direction, with a slightly northeasterly
component. Latest guidances are showing precipitable water values
near the 2 inches, from Saturday through Sunday. GFS models
currently show significant moisture content in all levels of the
atmosphere, meaning that the potential for thunderstorm activity
will be present during the weekend. Therefore, flooding and ponding
of water on roads and poorly drained areas can occur. Conditions
will gradually improve early in the workweek as a mid-level high
position across the area, along with possible particles of Saharan
dust.

&&

.AVIATION...Generally VFR conds are expected next 24 hours for most TAFs.
However, expect VCTS/VCSH due to afternoon convection across JBQ.
VCSH elsewhere through afternoon not expected to have significant
operational impacts at aerodromes. Winds east 18 to 22 knots with
sea breeze variations and stronger gusts. After sunset, winds
subside, to around 8 to 12 knots. Hazy conditions are expected, but
VIS should remain P6SM. A similar weather pattern will persist
tomorrow.

&&

.MARINE...Moderate to fresh winds between 20 to 25 knots will
maintain choppy to hazardous marine conditions through late
tonight. As a result, a Small Craft Advisory remains in effect due
to seas up to 7 feet across the offshore Atlantic waters. There
is a high risk of rip currents for beaches across the north coast
of Puerto Rico and eastern Culebra , Vieques, and Saint Croix. A
moderate risk remains in place for most remaining local beaches.
Marine conditions will start to improve on Tuesday.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SJU  78  88  78  87 /  20  40  50  50
STT  79  90  77  90 /  10  30  30  30

&&

.SJU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PR...High Rip Current Risk through late Tuesday night for Culebra-
     North Central-Northeast-Northwest-San Juan and Vicinity-
     Southeast.

     High Rip Current Risk through late tonight for Vieques.

VI...High Rip Current Risk through late Tuesday night for St Croix.

AM...Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM AST Tuesday for Atlantic Waters
     of Puerto Rico and USVI from 10 NM to 19.5N-Coastal Waters
     of Northern Puerto Rico out 10 NM.

     Small Craft Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 2 AM AST Tuesday
     for Mona Passage Southward to 17N.

&&

SHORT TERM...RAM
LONG TERM....GRS
PUBLIC DESK...LIS

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 5:43 AM AST, 11 hours 7 minutes before

Perspectivas sobre las Condiciones Peligrosas del Tiempo
Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia en San Juan PR
445 AM AST lunes 25 de julio de 2022

AMZ710>745-PRZ001>013-260845-
San Juan y Vecindad-Noreste-Sureste- Este Interior-Norte Central-
Interior Central-Ponce y Vecindad-Noroeste-Oeste Interior-Mayaguez y
Vecindad-Suroeste-Culebra-Vieques-Las aguas costeras cercanas y
lejanas a la costa del Atlantico y del Caribe-
445 AM AST lunes 25 de julio de 2022

Esta perspectiva sobre las condiciones peligrosas del tiempo es para
Puerto Rico y las aguas costeras adyacentes.

.Dia Uno...Hoy y esta noche

.Tronadas...Existe el potencial de tronadas con lluvia fuerte y
vientos en rafaga fuertes breves durante la manana y temprano esta
tarde a traves de sectores del este de y oeste de Puerto Rico.

.Inundaciones...Lluvia fuerte podria ocasionar inudnaciones
urbanas y de riachuelos.

.Viento...Se esperan vientos sostenidos en exceso de 25 mph (22
nudos) a traves de las aguas regionales y sectores costeros de las
islas.

.Oleaje...Se espera oleaje picado entre 6 y 8 pies a traves de la
mayoria de las aguas, con el maximo esperado a traves de las aguas
del Atlantico y el Pasaje de Anegada.

.Corrientes marinas...Existe un riesgo alto de corrientes marinas
para la costa norte de Puerto Rico y el este de Culebra.

.Calor...Humedad alta resultara en un aumentando en los indices de
calor de hasta 103 grados en areas localizadas del norte centro y
este de Puerto Rico.

.Dias dos hasta el siete...martes a domingo

Se esperan condiciones ventosas a traves de los sectores costeros
del norte y sur de Puerto Rico el martes. Corrientes marinas
amenazantes a la vida podrian durar hasta mediados de la semana a
traves de las playas del norte de Puerto Rico, retornando nuevamente
durante el fin de semana. Una onda tropical podria aumentar la
actividad de aguaceros y tronadas a traves de la region el
domingo.

.Comunicado sobre informacion reportada por observadores...

Se requiere la activacion de los observadores de Skywarm. Se les
requiere que se realicen reportes de inundaciones, vientos y
corrientes marinas al Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia en San Juan.

AMZ715-725-VIZ001-002-260845-
San Tomas, San John e Islas Adyacentes-Santa Cruz-Aguas cercanas del
Atlantico y aguas costeras adyacentes del Caribe-
445 AM AST lunes 25 de julio de 2022

Esta perspectiva sobre las condiciones peligrosas del tiempo es para
Islas Virgenes Estadounidenses y las aguas costeras adyacentes.

.Dia Uno...Hoy y esta noche

.Viento...Se esperan vientos sostenidos en exceso de 25 mph (22
nudos) a traves de las aguas regionales y sectores costeros de las
islas.

.Oleaje...Se espera oleaje picado entre 6 y 8 pies a traves de la
mayoria de las aguas, con el maximo esperado a traves de las aguas
del Atlantico y el Pasaje de Anegada.

.Corrientes marinas...Existe un riesgo alto de corrientes marinas
para el norte y este de Santa Cruz.

.Dias dos hasta el siete...martes a domingo

Corrientes marinas amenazantes a la vida podrian durar hasta
mediados de semana a traves de Santa Cruz, retornando nuevamente
durante el fin de semana. Una onda tropical podria aumentar la
actividad de aguaceros y tronadas a traves de la region el sabado.

.Comunicado sobre informacion reportada por observadores...

No se anticipa la activacion de los observadores, sin embargo,
alentamos a los observadores individuales reportar cualquier
informacion sobre vientos y corrientes marinas al Servicio Nacional
de Meteorologia en San Juan.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 25, 11:11 AM AST, 5 hours 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
1111 AM AST MON JUL 25 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0739 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SSW EL NEGRO          18.02N 65.86W
07/25/2022  M48 MPH          YABUCOA            PR   MESONET

            MESONET STATION XECY EL COCAL YABUCOA 10M.

&&

CVB

Event by event

1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.

Rip Current, Vieques

When: July 25, 4:50 PM AST to 6:00 PM AST
Where: Vieques forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper

A 61-year-old male, a tourist from Colombia, drowned At Playa Punta Arenas in Vieques.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Rip Current, Vieques	2022-07-25	61	Male	In Water	Direct

What these are

Rip Current: A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Puerto Rico in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Puerto Rico, July 2022

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1045198.