NYC beaches closed due to strong rip currents from Ernesto
NEW YORK - Beaches across New York City are closed for the weekend due to rip currents from Hurricane Ernesto.
The New York City Parks Department issued a warning Saturday saying that Queens and Brooklyn beaches would be closed to swimming on Saturday and Sunday.
Tracking Hurricane Ernesto. (FOX Weather)
Even though Hurricane Ernesto is passing several hundred miles off the U.S. East Coast, beaches in New York are expecting an increase in rip currents and surf that could make ocean ventures dangerous through the weekend.
What are rip currents?
Swimmers are advised to swim parallel to the shoreline if caught in a rip current. (FOX Weather)
Rip currents form when water piles up, creating a narrow, fast-flowing stream that swiftly carries swimmers away from shore, often catching them off guard. These currents can move at speeds of up to 8 feet per second.
Despite being downgraded to a Category 1 storm during its final approach, Bermuda was smacked with 85 mph winds, heavy rain, pounding waves and storm surge.
Significant troughing off the East Coast has long been expected to act as a barrier, keeping the hurricane from making a direct strike on the U.S. However, the storm is not far enough away to prevent indirect impacts from reaching the shoreline.
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Beaches from Florida to Maine are expecting an increase in rip currents and surf that could make ocean ventures dangerous through the weekend.
As of Aug. 4, at least 30 people have died due to rip currents or rough surf around the country, according to NOAA data.
Lifeguards will be positioned on beaches throughout the city in order to keep people safe and out of the water.
FOX Weather contributed to this report.