Ferry Services Suspended Amidst Storm Conditions
On March 20, severe weather conditions in the Strait of Gibraltar prompted the complete suspension of ferry services between Tarifa, Spain, and Tangier, Morocco. As a result, all scheduled departures from the Port of Tarifa were canceled, leaving the Spanish port without maritime connections to Morocco for the entirety of the day. The operators of this route, Balearia and Africa Morocco Link (AML), took the precautionary step to halt operations in response to the adverse meteorological conditions affecting the strait.
The closure of the port was confirmed by the Bay of Algeciras port authority, which stated that the facility would remain shut down throughout Friday. This decision came after officials had already indicated the likelihood of service interruptions beginning Thursday at 4:00 p.m., highlighting the severity of the approaching storm system. Consequently, no vessels were expected to depart from Tarifa at any time during Friday.
The impact of the storm was expected to extend beyond the immediate day, with Balearia announcing the cancellation of its Saturday ferry scheduled for 9:00 a.m., further prolonging the disruption of maritime traffic between Spain and Morocco. In contrast, the situation at the nearby Port of Algeciras remained stable, with ferry connections to Tangier Med and Ceuta continuing to operate without delays or cancellations reported for the upcoming hours.
Weather Alerts and Navigational Challenges
Spain's national meteorological agency, Aemet, issued a yellow alert for the Cadiz area of the strait on Friday, warning of rough seas and heavy rainfall. The wave alert was in effect from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., coinciding with strong Levante winds blowing at speeds between 50 to 61 kilometers per hour west of Tarifa and in open waters south of Trafalgar. These easterly winds are a recurring navigational challenge within the strait, rendering conditions unsafe for ferry operations from Tarifa, which is one of the narrowest crossing points between Europe and Africa.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
