FREAK storms in the Strait of Gibraltar have forced the port of Tarifa (Cádiz province) to shut with all commercial and passenger transport grounded.
The closure was announced at 16.00 yesterday (Saturday) and will continue all of today.
Additionally, the Cádiz-Rota and Cádiz-El Puerto de Santa María catamaran routes will be cancelled until the tides settle.
For the moment, passenger ferries from Algeciras (Cádiz province) to Tangiers (northern Morocco) and the Spanish-owned city-province of Ceuta further along the coast will continue to run unless otherwise stated.
The force-six and force-seven gales which blew up yesterday between the Punta Camarinal and Punta Carnero in the Tarifa, Algeciras and Ceuta area were expected to reach force eight by the early hours of this morning and occasionally even force nine.
This means tides are extreme and residents and visitors are warned to stay away from ports and seafronts.
The 'orange alert' in the area is expected to be lifted by around 18.00 this evening, and from 15.00 along the rest of the provincial coastline.
Some damage to property is likely given the extent of the winds.
