Special Marine Warning Issued for Florida Bay and Upper Keys Waters Through 9:30 PM
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for Florida Bay and the Straits of Florida as a strong thunderstorm moves through the region with high wind gusts.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Upper Florida Keys and Florida Bay
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Key West
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Upper Florida Keys and Florida Bay.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Key West has issued a Special Marine Warning for the waters surrounding the Upper Florida Keys. This alert was triggered by a strong thunderstorm moving through the area, posing an immediate threat to maritime activities.
Affected Areas
The warning encompasses the following geographic regions:
- Florida Bay: Including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound.
- Hawk Channel: From Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef.
- Straits of Florida: From Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 nautical miles.
Specific locations within the warning zone include Whale Harbor, Tavernier Creek, Twin Keys, Tavernier, Steam Boat Channel, Cotton Key, and Molasses Reef Light.
What You Should Do
Boaters are urged to seek safe harbor as quickly and safely as possible. If heavy downpours reduce visibility, mariners should slow down and exercise extreme caution.
Expected Conditions
As of 8:53 PM EST, a strong thunderstorm was located over Conch Reef, moving west at 20 knots. Expected hazards include:
- Wind: Gusts of 34 knots or greater.
- Seas: Suddenly higher waves.
- Additional Hazards: Frequent lightning and heavy downpours.
Timeline
The alert is effective immediately as of 8:53 PM EST and is currently set to expire at 9:30 PM EST on March 4.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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