- Sea temp 12.5 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 1.2 m period 9 s · NW
- Wind 8 mph from NE · gust 13
- Next tide High 00:51 today · 1.6 m
Runkerry Strand is a coastal beach on the North Coast coast. It is not a designated bathing water, so there is no routine water-quality monitoring here.
Conditions now
Air
8°C
Clear
Swell
1.2m
period 7 s · NW
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
Water quality
Not a designated bathing water — not routinely sampled.
No published samples for this site yet.
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain.
Sewage & storm overflows
12 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 8 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~70 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 12 combined
Measured in 2025223 spills398 h · 65 in the bathing season · 9 of 12 monitored
Nearest 12 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushfoot WwPS → Bush River (Bushmills) |
650 yd | Unsatisfactory | — | 122 spills 40 in season · 105 h |
| Runkerry Road Bushmills WwPS → Bush |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~23 | 26 spills 4 in season · 148 h |
| Coastguard Road Lissanduff CSO → Bush |
0.7 mi | Satisfactory | — | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Doonans Corner WwPS → Bush |
0.7 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Portballintrae CSO → North Coast |
0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~5 | 13 spills 3 in season · 49 h |
| Portballintrae Seapark WwPS → North Coast |
0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 19 spills 9 in season · 9 h |
| Bushmills FFT CSO | 0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~28 | — |
| Bushmills FA CSO | 0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~12 | — |
| Portballintrae Caravan Park WwPS | 1.0 mi | Satisfactory | — | 11 spills 4 in season · 52 h |
| Main Street Bushmills CSO → Bush River (Bushmills) |
1.1 mi | Satisfactory | — | 25 spills 3 in season · 32 h |
| Dundarave WwPS → Bush River (Bushmills) |
1.2 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Riverdale Lodge WwPS → Bush River (Bushmills) |
1.2 mi | Satisfactory | — | 7 spills 2 in season · 3 h |
How these are counted
“Modelled” is NI Water's hydraulic-model prediction of spills per year. “Measured” is from NI Water's event duration monitors, counted with the industry 12/24 method (discharges within the same 12- or 24-hour block count as one spill); the bathing-season figure (1 Jun–15 Sep) is our count from NI Water's published discharge log. An overflow with no monitor isn't known to be dry. Classification is NI Water's own.
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Causeway Road 15 ST (0.6 mi → Bush) · Causeway Road 30 ST (0.7 mi → Bush).
Amenities & features
Parking
3
Toilets
1
Shops
e.g. Day-Today
1
Picnic tables
6
Benches
12
Information
e.g. Runkerry Beach
3
Bins
4
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Portballintrae 0.7 mi
- Dunseverick 4.1 mi
- Portbradden 4.6 mi
2 more further away
- Portandhu 5.0 mi
- Portrush 5.3 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Giant's Causeway and Dunseverick
- ASSI Runkerry
- SAC North Antrim Coast
- SAC Skerries and Causeway
4 protected features
- Reefs Favourable, 2019
- Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time Favourable, 2019
- Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena Favourable, 2012
- Submerged or partially submerged sea caves Favourable, 2012
Protected features and their latest condition assessment, from DAERA's 2023 marine protected area review. Only sites with a marine part are assessed there.
Alerts & advisories
Rip currents on surf beaches
The open Atlantic strands generate strong rip currents, particularly around low tide and after big swell. Swim between the red-and-yellow flags at lifeguarded beaches in season, never alone, and if caught in a rip do not swim against it: raise a hand, float, and let it carry you out until it releases.