Temps Cool Down At Ocean Beaches, Rip Current Risk Rises

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ – Visitors to Ocean County beaches can expect cloudy skies, showers and a chance of thunderstorms today, as the end of the first week of September comes to a close.

Temperatures will drop significantly, with highs only in the upper 70s, much lower than the torrid temps of Thursday. The lightning threat is moderate, which means thunderstorms are possible. Winds will be from the the northeast at 10 miles to 15 per hour, the National Weather Service says.

The rip current risk is moderate. Visitors should check with their local beach patrol about problem areas. Never, ever swim on an unguarded beach and never swim alone or at night. Lifeguards will be tough to find as fall approaches. If you do find a guarded beach, the NWS advises that you always have a flotation device with you in the water.

Two Long Beach Island towns will still have daily and weekend lifeguard coverage. Ship Bottom will have daily coverage at the 7th, 15th and 20th streets through Sept. 30.

Harvey Cedars will have daily coverage at the Middlesex Avenue and 80th Street beaches through Sept. 9. After that, the Middlesex Avenue beach will be guarded each day through Sunday, Sept. 30. If the weather holds up, the 80th Street beach may be guarded on weekends as well.

Toms River will also have guard on duty in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River on Saturday and Sunday, but those will be the last guarded days of the 2018 season, Toms River police said.

Waves on Friday will be around 3 to 4 feet, with southeasterly swells of 2 feet. The ocean water temperature is 80 degrees, the highest it's been all summer, although that could vary depending upon the beach.

Despite the cloudy skies, the ultraviolet index is a 7, which the NWS considers high.

High tide at Barnegat Inlet arrived at 6:06 a.m. Low tide will roll in at 12:19 p.m., followed by another high tide at 6:27 p.m.

Photo: Patricia A. Miller