Special Marine Warning Issued for Gulf Waters Near Mexico Beach and Apalachicola
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 5, 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 offshore Gulf waters until 2:15 AM EDT due to a strong thunderstorm producing wind gusts over 34 knots.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Gulf of Mexico Offshore Florida
- Issued
- April 5, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Tallahassee
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 Gulf of Mexico Offshore Florida.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee FL has issued a Special Marine Warning (SMW) for offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This alert was triggered by radar-indicated strong thunderstorms moving through the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following maritime regions:
- Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola FL from 20 to 60 NM
- Waters from Suwannee River to Apalachicola FL from 20 to 60 NM
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to move to safe harbor immediately as hazardous weather passes. Ensure that all individuals on board are wearing life jackets. Boaters should remain in port until the gusty winds and high waves subside.
Expected Conditions
At 12:47 AM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 34 nautical miles south of S Tower, moving northeast at 35 knots. Expected hazards include:
- Wind: Gusts of 34 knots or greater.
- Waves: Suddenly higher waves are expected.
- Precipitation: Heavy downpours and frequent lightning.
The storm is expected to remain primarily over open waters.
Timeline
The warning is effective immediately and is scheduled to expire at 2:15 AM EDT (1:15 AM CDT) on March 16, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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