South Florida boaters got a late night jolt on Friday, July 10, 2026, when the National Weather Service office in Miami issued a Special Marine Warning for coastal waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef out 20 nautical miles, including Biscayne Bay. The advisory, in effect late Friday evening through 10:45 p.m. EDT, flagged sudden strong wind gusts and rough seas that could spell real trouble for small craft. Boat operators and waterfront residents from Surfside south through Key Biscayne were urged to take quick protective action.
On X, NWS Miami highlighted that the warning covered Surfside, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, North Bay Village and Key Biscayne, and called out winds topping 34 knots among the main threats. Forecasters told mariners to “seek safe harbor” and hold that position until storms moved through. The post went out at 02:21:53 UTC on July 11, 2026, which lines up with 10:21:53 p.m. EDT on July 10.
What The Warning Covers
On the National Weather Service marine page for the Miami forecast area, special marine warnings are described as short-fuse alerts issued when radar or reliable reports show thunderstorms capable of kicking up hazardous winds and seas, including gusts above 34 knots and the potential for waterspouts. The Miami office’s standing advice for these alerts is simple: “move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes,” a line the agency repeats in its marine products. The AMZ651 coastal zone that runs from Deerfield Beach through Ocean Reef, which also includes Biscayne Bay, appears as a single area on the NWS Miami marine zone map.
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