Memorial Day weekend is here, but so are rip currents and sargassum. South Florida beachgoers may want to plan ahead before heading to the shore.
The National Weather Service issued a rip current statement for Miami-Dade and Broward counties that remains in effect through Saturday evening.
Forecasters warned of dangerous rip currents that “can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water.”
As a precaution, the NWS advises beachgoers to:
Swim near a lifeguard
Relax and float if caught in a rip current
Swim parallel to the shoreline if able to escape
Face the shore and wave or call for help if unable to escape
Sargassum is covering parts of Miami Beach as red flags warn of dangerous rip currents, but crowds are still expected for this weekend’s Hyundai Air & Sea Show.
And yes — sargassum is also part of the picture.
Large amounts of the seaweeds have already been detected across parts of the Atlantic and Caribbean earlier than in previous years.
Experts attribute the large blooms to warmer ocean temperatures and increased nutrients in the water.
That was the case Friday in Miami Beach.
“Well, I mean, it makes it a little more difficult to get into the water if you want to go in,” said beachgoer David Mark. “Nature put it there, so there’s not a whole lot we can do about it.”