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High swim risk at Lake Erie beaches: Life-threatening wave heights, rip currents expected this weekend

Waves are expected to reach five to seven feet on Saturday.

CLEVELAND — Were you planning on taking a swim at one of Lake Erie’s beaches this weekend? The National Weather Service in Cleveland has a warning you need to know.

“Swim risk at Lake Erie beaches will reach high by tonight [Friday] due to high wind speeds and wave heights,” the National Weather Service wrote on Facebook. “High swim risk means life-threatening wave heights and rip currents are expected.”

Their advice?

“Do not enter the water!”

"We're looking at (waves) at close to four to seven feet and those conditions can change really rapidly, says George Degener of the U.S. Coast Guard. "It's a very quick onset: What starts as a flat, calm day with ideal conditions can turn dangerous really quickly."

Here’s a closer look at the weekend beach forecast for locations in Cuyahoga County…

FRIDAY

  • Waves: 1-3 feet, building to 2-4 feet
  • Swim risk: Moderate, which means swimming is discouraged

FRIDAY NIGHT

  • Waves: 3-6 feet, building to 3-7 feet
  • Swim risk: High, which means do not enter the water

SATURDAY

  • Waves: 5-7 feet, subsiding to 3-5 feet
  • Swim risk: High, which means do not enter the water
Credit: Neil Fisher-3News
Edgewater Beach on June 17, 2022, with a red flag on the beach

Here's more details discussing the dangerous water conditions from the National Weather Service:

Swim risk at Lake Erie beaches will reach High by tonight due to high wind speeds & wave heights. High swim risk means...

Posted by US National Weather Service Cleveland OH on Friday, June 17, 2022

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Although the water will be dangerous, the air temperature won’t be ideal for swimming either as much cooler conditions return throughout the weekend. Highs for Friday are expected in the low 80s, but Saturday will only reach approximately 70 degrees.

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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on June 15, 2022.

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