Meteorological Service Suriname | Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning
National Meteorological Centre | J.A. Pengel International Airport
WEATHER BULLETIN FOR SHIPS
SURINAME COAST & THE GUIANAS | 05N–15N / 45W–60W
Valid: 1200UTC July 18, 2026 — 1200UTC July 19, 2026Issued by: N.M.C. Suriname
✅ NO ACTIVE WARNING — No storm warning at this time
🚨 PART I: STORM WARNING
NO STORM WARNING. No storm warning is currently active for the forecast area.
🌐 PART II: SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW — Situation 1200UTC, July 18, 2026
A dominant subtropical ridge, centered north of 20°N with a central pressure around 1022–1026 hPa, continues to maintain moderate to fresh easterly trade winds across the tropical Atlantic. Embedded within the trade wind flow, a westward-moving tropical wave over the 45°W–60°W corridor is generating pockets of enhanced cloudiness and scattered showers, although its development remains limited by the presence of dry, stable mid-level air. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) remains positioned near 07–09°N, extending westward toward the Guyana coast, where the strongest convective activity is concentrated along and south of its axis. Meanwhile, a Saharan Air Layer (SAL), characterized by warm, dry air between approximately 850 and 500 hPa, continues to suppress widespread deep convection across much of the open tropical Atlantic. Consequently, weather conditions over the forecast area will be dominated by passing trade wind showers with localized convective enhancement near the ITCZ and the tropical wave. No significant tropical cyclone development is expected over the area during the next seven days.
🌧 Saharan Dust: A Saharan Air Layer (SAL) of generally light to moderate concentration is present across the northern portion of the forecast area, primarily north of 10–12°N, extending westward with the prevailing easterly trade winds. The warm, dry air mass between approximately 850 and 500 hPa is maintaining a pronounced mid-level temperature inversion, limiting vertical cloud growth and suppressing widespread deep convection over the open Atlantic waters. Consequently, shower activity remains mainly shallow and short-lived, with the greatest convective development confined to the more humid environment along and south of the ITCZ. Visibility is generally expected to remain between 8 and 10 km, although localized dust haze may temporarily reduce it to around 6–8 km across the northern offshore waters. Overall, the presence of the SAL is expected to inhibit significant thunderstorm development and reduce the potential for tropical cyclone formation over the forecast area during the forecast period.
⛵ PART III: WEATHER FORECAST — 1200UTC July 18, 2026 to 1200UTC July 19, 2026
💨 Wind
E to ENE (070°-090°), 28–37 km/h (15–20 kt, Bft 4–5), strongest in the northern half of the domain (11N–15N) | Gusts to 46–50 km/h (25–27 kt, Bft 6) during passing showers or brief boundary-layer turbulence
👁 Visibility
Generally good outside precipitation, around 10 km (5+ nm) | Reduced to 6–8 km in dense Saharan dust haze | Temporarily below 4 km (2 nm) near active rain curtains
🌊 Waves N of 08N
NE to E, significant wave height 1.8–2.2 m (WW3), locally generated short-period wind sea with a dominant period of 7–9 seconds
🌊 MARINE FORECAST SURINAME COAST — South of 08N
☀️ DAYTIME | JULY 18, 2026
💨Wind DirectionENE to E (070°-090°)
🌬Wind Speed15–25 km/h (Bft 3–4), increasing locally to around 25 km/h along the immediate coastline during the afternoon sea breeze, gusts to 48 km/h (Bft 6) in shower activity
🌊Wave DirectionENE to E
📏Wave Height👁
👁VisibilityGenerally around 10 km (6–8 km in dense dust haze) | Temporarily reduced within active shower cells
⛅WeatherMostly sunny and very hazy from Saharan dust. Isolated light seawind showers possible (about 20% chance); the active sea breeze increases wind locally during the afternoon.
🌙 EVENING / NIGHT | JULY 18/19, 2026
💨Wind DirectionE to ESE (090°-110°)
🌬Wind Speed10–20 km/h (Bft 2–3), backing to the ESE as the land breeze sets in and easing overnight
🌊Wave DirectionENE, swell maintaining an east-northeasterly direction
📏Wave Height👁
👁VisibilityGenerally around 10 km, dropping to below 4 km in active early morning shower cells
🌙WeatherIncreasing cloudiness from midnight onward. Precipitation activity peaks in the early morning hours just offshore, where the boundary between the cool land breeze and warm sea surface favors local convergence and shower formation; scattered moderate showers with a local thunderstorm risk (about 40% chance). A spring tide advisory remains active along the Guianas coast, with an elevated risk of coastal overtopping and inundation during peak high-water hours.
🔭 OUTLOOK — Suriname Coast, July 19 to July 22, 2026
⛅ WeatherSun–Mon, Jul 19–20: The Bermuda-Azores ridge and stable easterly trades continue to dominate. The ITCZ holds a southern position between 07°N and 09°N, and a northward shift over Suriname's maritime territory is unlikely. Offshore winds run 10-18 kt with seas of 1.5-2.2 m. Conditions remain mostly dry and locally hazy from moderate-to-high Saharan dust concentrations.
💨 WindSun–Mon, Jul 19–20: E, 10–18 kt (19–33 km/h) | Mon–Tue, Jul 20–11: E–NE strengthening to 12–20 kt (22–37 km/h, Bft 4–5) | Tue–Wed, Jul 21–22: E–NE, 15–22 kt (28–41 km/h, Bft 4–6), gusts locally to 28 kt (52 km/h, Bft 6–7)
🌊 WavesSun–Mon, Jul 19–20: 1.5–2.2 m | Mon–Tue, Jul 20–11: building to 1.6–2.3 m | Tue–Wed, Jul 21–22: further building to 1.8–2.5 m, persistent NE–E swell
