AccuWeather.com reports the weather conditions along the Arabian and Somalian coasts may unfortunately continue to play into pirates' hands over the next several weeks. Very modest Indian Ocean waves, light winds and nearly unrestricted visibility are forecast for the region.
The pirates have been using armed, small speedboats to attack the large vessels. For obvious reasons, large waves would greatly hinder these tactics. The current, seasonable weather pattern favors generally clear skies and waves generally of 3 to 5 feet or less. Only spotty thunderstorms will occur along the immediate coast from Mogadishu northward in Somalia. More unsettled conditions and building seas will be found farther south toward Kenya.
The moon is entering the last quarter phase at this time, with a new moon upcoming in approximately seven nights. While the nearly unrestricted visibility by day may be a draw as far as who benefits, little or no moonlight for the next couple of weeks will not aid those keeping watch at night aboard merchant vessels. The pirate boats are not illuminated, while the large ships must be lit to avoid collision with other vessels in the vicinity.
Later in May, seas will typically build in the region as the southerly flow picks up. The moist flow also allows thunderstorms to propagate northward to a certain point. Until then, the merchant marine sailors operating in the area will have to keep on their toes.
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Justin Roberti
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