CLEVELAND — Who doesn't love sitting on the beach and tipping your toes in the water? Well, the National Weather Service encourages both, but not during rip currents.
As beaches on Lake Erie fill up for the warmer months the National Weather Service has been issuing warnings.
“The National Weather Service, we issue what's called beach hazard statements. Anytime that we think that waves and conditions on Lake Erie are not suitable for swimming for the general public,” said Zach Sefcovic, the lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
They dropped their first one of the seasons for rip currents.
“With those types of situations where we're expecting four feet waves or more, you know, there is a good chance that you know, waves could, you know, drag you away from the shore and something called a rip current,” said Sefcovic
So they'll release a statement and have visuals signs up, red flags, and lifeguards on duty. But rip currents aren't the only thing beachgoers should look out for.
“The summer season we always have our chances for showers and thunderstorms. So being weather aware for a thunderstorm is important,” said Sefcovic.
Also, make sure you move to safety if lightning strikes and check the weather service for updates.
The good news is Thursday the weather looks pretty good that warning ended at 4 p.m. but Sefcovic says there will be more to come moving forward.
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