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	Marine Forecast Terms

Marine forecast information

Weather forecasts are extremely important for both sailors and airmen with the latest information of crucial importance for both comfort and safety. Operators can route ships and aircraft to avoid severe weather, reducing the risk of injury and damage (a number of passengers aboard an Air France Boeing 747 were injured when it was 'bounced' around in a thunderstorm - ferry passengers had to spend Christmas on board a cross-Channel ferry when it could not dock due to bad weather).

Information is broadcast at regular intervals and provides details of current conditions and expected weather for the next few hours. This information can be obtained fairly easily and added to observations that you can make in your own school and local region.

The Shipping Forecast

Shipping forecasts are broadcast each day on BBC Radio 4 FM (92.4 - 94.6 MHz) at 05.55, 13.55, 17.50 and 00.48 hours. Each bulletin contains 350 words and begins with warnings of gales (when issued) followed by a general summary of current weather conditions:

Gale Warnings

There are warnings of gales in sea areas Plymouth, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Finisterre and Biscay......

The General Synopsis at 0100

Low Southern Irish Sea 978 moving rapidly expected Forth 985 by 1900 Saturday. High Azores 1030 slow moving with little change

and then moves on to give forecasts for the various sea areas around the UK.

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours

Dover, Wight, Portland
South Westerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7. Showers. Moderate or good

The forecast for sea areas around the UK is followed by reports from coastal weather stations - a series of reports in a clockwise order around the UK.

The current marine forecast can be downloaded from the Met. Office internet site:

Shipping speak

The shipping forecast contains a number of unusual terms, used to convey specific meanings.......

Gales

Gale warning	Beaufort	Wind speed (Knots)
Gale	8	34-40
Severe gale	9	41 - 47
Storm	10	48 - 55
Violent storm	11	56 - 63
Hurricane	12	64 - 71

Time periods

Imminent	expected within 6 hours of time of issue
Soon	expected within 6 to 12 hours of time of issue
Later	expected more than 12 hours from time of issue

Speed of movement - pressure systems

Description	Speed (Knots)
Slowly	Moving at less than 15
Steadily	Moving at 15 to 25
Quickly	Moving at 25 to 35
Rapidly	Moving at 35 to 45
Very Rapidly	Moving at more than 45

Wind descriptions

Description	Meaning
Direction	Direction from which wind is blowing
Wind becoming cyclonic	Rapid change in direction, usually associated with frontal system
Veering	Wind direction changing in a clockwise direction - S to SW to W etc.
Backing	Wind direction changing in an anti-clockwise direction - E to NE to N etc.

Visibility

Description	Meaning
Fog	Less than 1000m (approx 0.6 nautical miles)
Poor	Between 1000 and 2 nautical miles
Moderate	Between 2 and 5 nautical miles
Good	More than 5 nautical miles

Locally

Description	Meaning
Locally	Refers to localised patches of the conditions described which may spring up here and there.

Sea Areas around the UK

And now for the reports from coastal stations......

The weather forecast is followed by coastal reports, again in clockwise order round the UK. Reports give current pressure and trend (rising, falling, steady), wind direction and force, current weather (rain, showers etc.)and visibility. Today, much of the data is acquired from automatic weather stations mounted on floating buoys in strategic locations. The data from these buoys can be downloaded directly to give an immediate (usually within the last hour) feel for weather conditions.

	Automatic weather observation buoy data can be accessed via the Internet from the US National Weather Service: Interactive Marine Observations:Europe
	Click on a buoy from this site to display current conditions (including wind, temperature, pressure, wave height and wave period). Data for previous hours is also displayed and can be used to observe the progress of weather systems.
	Interactive Marine Observations are available for 14 regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Click the link to choose an area.

Plotted observations from ships and aircraft for wider areas are available from OceanWeather Inc. Eastern Atlantic Marine Observations Eastern seaboard of the USA and Western Atlantic Marine Observations South Atlantic and Cape Horn region Western Pacific Eastern Pacific South Pacific Indian Ocean Global Significant Wave Height Map A map showing projected wave heights and directions across the globe using predictions and observed data. Use this map to plot the routes to avoid!
Information for Airmen Accurate and up to date weather information is vital to the safety of aircraft. Current conditions at major UK airports is broadcast continuously in the Air band. A tape recorded announcement (updated at half hourly intervals) is broadcast and can be heard by tuning an air band radio to London Volmet Main at 135MHz. Information is provided for Amsterdam, Birmingham, Glasgow, London (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) Manchester, Paris Charles de Gaulle. Important information on this broadcast includes wind speed and direction, cloud cover and ground visibility.