Marrakech – Severe weather conditions in the Strait of Gibraltar forced the complete suspension of ferry services between Tarifa and Tangier on Friday, March 20, leaving the Spanish port without maritime connections to Morocco for the entire day.
Shipping companies Balearia and Africa Morocco Link (AML), the two operators serving the route, canceled all scheduled departures from the Port of Tarifa due to the adverse meteorological conditions gripping the strait. The port authority of the Bay of Algeciras confirmed the facility would remain closed throughout Friday.
The shutdown was not unexpected. Authorities had already announced the suspension of operations from Thursday at 4:00 p.m., signaling the severity of the approaching storm system. No vessel was expected to depart Tarifa at any point during Friday.
The disruptions are set to extend beyond the day. Balearia has already canceled its Saturday ferry scheduled for 9:00 a.m., prolonging the impact on maritime traffic between the two countries.
The situation at the nearby Port of Algeciras, however, told a different story. Maritime connections from Algeciras to Tangier Med and Ceuta continued to operate normally, with no delays or cancellations reported or announced for the coming hours.
Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet, activated a yellow alert for the Cadiz stretch of the strait on Friday, warning of rough seas and heavy rainfall. The wave alert remains in effect from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., coinciding with strong Levante winds blowing at speeds between 50 and 61 kilometers per hour west of Tarifa and in open waters south of Trafalgar.
The easterly winds, a recurrent challenge for navigation in the strait, rendered conditions unsafe for ferry operations out of Tarifa, one of the narrowest crossing points between Europe and Africa.
Read also: Morocco Faces Heavy Storms, Strong Winds in Multiple Provinces
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