CAVENDISH, P.E.I. – For the third day in a row, Parks Canada was warning Friday that surf conditions in Prince Edward Island National Park are again considered dangerous. The same warning was issued Wednesday and Thursday.
Rip currents may be formed along the shores due to high winds and resulting surf conditions.
To ensure safety, entering the water is not recommended in these conditions.
Rip currents are a hazard on P.E.I. beaches and form when waves break near the shoreline, piling up water between the breaking waves and the beach. One of the ways this water returns to sea is to form a rip current, a narrow stream of water moving swiftly away from shore. The danger is when swimmers become trapped in the rapid current and are swept offshore.
Swimmers are advised not to panic if they get caught in a rip current, but to relax and swim parallel to shore to get out of the current; then swim back to shore.
The air temperature today is 23 C and the water temperature is 17 C.
For more information, contact Parks Canada at: (902) 672-6350 or visit the website at www.parkscanada.ca/pei. Parks Canada’s video “Rip Currents –The Hidden Danger” advises beach visitors on how to identify the signs of a rip current. Check it out online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alPBqhvEGzg
