Rough weather suspends operations in Gibraltar

All inbound traffic to the Port of Gibraltar has been suspended by bad weather, shipping agent A. Mateos & Sons told ENGINE, citing an alert from the Gibraltar Port Authority.

IMAGE: Oil products tanker moored at the Port of Gibraltar. Getty Images

Southerly and southwesterly surface winds of around 25 knots are forecast in the area throughout the day, with frequent gusts of 32-38 knots and a risk of 40 knots in some exposed locations, a weather update on the Gibraltar Port Authority's website said.

The traffic closure could hit bunker operations in the port. Around 12 vessels were expected to call for bunkers today, according to shipping agent A. Mateos & Sons.

Three vessels were waiting to bunker in the port today, according to the latest update from port agent MH Bland.

Even before the closure, one supplier was running around 6-8 hours behind schedule, MH bland added. Those delays are expected to increase because of the suspension, and cause congestion in the port.

Bunkering is still possible in nearby Algeciras, where the port area is relatively guarded from the strong gusts, MH Bland informed ENGINE.

The weather is expected to be calm tomorrow, with comparatively moderate wind gusts forecast during the day, which may allow all operations to resume.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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