CHICAGO — The city's swimmers should keep out of Lake Michigan today: nearly-invisible rip currents are expected to form and pose a deadly risk.
Strong winds and waves mean there's a high risk rip currents will form in the water throughout the day Thursday, said Matt Friedlein, a meteorologist for the National Weather Center. Rip currents — largely undetectable to swimmers until they're caught in one — are "powerful channels of water" that will drag people away from the shore and can pull swimmers down, too, he said.
Almost every year, people die, or need to be rescued by the city, after getting swept up in rip currents, Friedlein said.
"Rip currents can be dangerous and, just because they're not visibly seen by swimmers, even powerful, strong swimmers can be affected," Friedlein said.
Beaches that don't have protective breakwalls are the most at-risk for having rip currents form in the water, but even beaches with breakwalls could get rip currents on Thursday, Friedlein said.
Anyone who gets caught in a rip current is advised to swim parallel to the beach, Friedlein said. People shouldn't try to swim against the current because that will just exhaust them.
Waves are expected to be 4 to 5 feet tall at Chicago's beaches, which can also be dangerous, Friedlein said. Winds are expected to hit 30 mph along the lakeshore.
High risk for rip currents at IL & NW IN beaches. Stay out of the water! Hot & dry wx continues thru the weekend. pic.twitter.com/B6LwStkoI6
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 16, 2016
Earlier this week, a man's body was recovered from Lake Michigan near Oak Street Beach.
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