Palm Beach County beaches saw fierce, choppy surf over the weekend as ocean swells from an early-season nor’easter reached South Florida.
A cold front moved through Sept. 25, bringing cooler air and rough conditions along the coast. At various points during the weekend, coastal Palm Beach County was under a high surf advisory, a high rip current risk and a coastal flood statement. Breaking waves were projected to reach 6 to 8 feet.
Weather Service alerts warned that rip currents can carry even strong swimmers away from shore and into deeper water. The cooler conditions also brought temperatures into the low 70s, a noticeable change for the early fall season.
Surfers gathered off Juno Beach on Sept. 28 as the final portion of the swell moved through the Atlantic. Surfline reported waves cresting at nearly 4 feet that morning.
The nor’easter had brought heavy rain and strong winds from the Mid-Atlantic through New England before its swells reached Palm Beach County. No immediate report on beach erosion in the county was available.
