Special Marine Warning Issued for Tampa Bay and Coastal Florida Waters
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Tampa Bay and surrounding coastal waters due to severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts and high winds.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- West Central Florida Coastal Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
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 West Central Florida Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Ruskin has issued a Special Marine Warning for the Tampa Bay region and surrounding coastal waters. The alert was issued by NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL at 6:16 PM EST following radar detection of severe thunderstorms capable of producing hazardous maritime conditions.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions and specific locations:
- Tampa Bay waters, including Hillsborough Bay and Terra Ceia Bay.
- Coastal waters from Englewood to Tarpon Springs FL out to 20 nautical miles.
- Offshore waters from Englewood to Tarpon Springs FL from 20 to 60 nautical miles.
- Specific Landmarks: Howard Frankland Bridge, Longboat Key, Cockroach Bay, Anna Maria Island, Pass-A-Grille Channel, Southwest Channel, and Saint Pete Beach.
- Reef Locations: D5 Reef, Manatee Nearshore Reef, Madeira Beach Reef, Md1 Reef, M7 Reef, M8 Reef, M1 Reef, M6 Reef, D1 Reef, and D4 Reef.
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to move to safe harbor immediately until the hazardous weather passes. Thunderstorms can produce sudden waterspouts that can easily overturn boats and create locally hazardous seas. Ensure all persons on board are in a secure location and wearing life jackets. Seek safe harbor immediately to avoid dangerous conditions.
Expected Conditions
At 6:15 PM EST, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Dunedin to 42 nautical miles west of Longboat Pass, moving east at 20 knots. Expected hazards include:
- Waterspouts: Capable of quickly forming and capsizing vessels.
- Wind: Gusts in excess of 34 knots.
- Waves: Suddenly higher waves and locally hazardous seas.
- Additional Hazards: Frequent lightning and heavy downpours.
Timeline
The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately as of 6:16 PM EST on February 27. The alert is currently scheduled to expire at 7:15 PM EST on February 27.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.