New York City Parks officials are closing beaches across Brooklyn and Queens to swimmers this weekend in anticipation of life-threatening rip currents and other hazards expected from Hurricane Ernesto.
The beaches, including at Jacob Riis Park, will be closed Saturday, Aug 17 and Sunday Aug. 18.
The National Weather Service is forecasting local ocean swells of up to 6 feet in height and predicting wind gusts up to 12 miles per hour.
The ban will be enforced by the Parks Department’s enforcement staff, and lifeguards will continue to patrol the beach as officials urge swimmers to stay on shore.
“We strongly urge all New Yorkers not to risk their lives by ignoring this directive,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue.
Ernesto’s heavy winds and rain started battering Bermuda late Friday as government offices were closed and shelters were opened across the British territory, according to the Associated Press.
Located 95 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, the Category 2 storm generated sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, the AP reported.
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