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Bordeaux Harbour
Bordeaux Harbour Picture by Peter Frankland
Today
High
12°
Low
11°
25%
F4
Tomorrow
High
13°
Low
8°
95%
F6
Fri, 19 Dec
High
12°
Low
7°
20%
F4
Sat, 20 Dec
High
10°
Low
8°
15%
F5
Sun, 21 Dec
High
10°
Low
6°
45%
F4
Mon, 22 Dec
High
11°
Low
6°
30%
F3
Tue, 23 Dec
High
11°
Low
6°
25%
F3
Morning, Today
High
12°
Cloudy, perhaps the odd spot of light rain.
25%
1
UV
F4
South to southwest moderate F4, increasing fresh F5 later.
Sunrise 08:02
Afternoon
High
12°
Cloudy, with patchy light rain at times.
60%
1
UV
F5
South to southwest fresh F5, occasionally strong F6 later, especially in Alderney.
Sunset 16:12
Night
Low
11°
Cloudy with rain by late evening, becoming persistent and heavy for a time.
100%
F6
South to southwest fresh F5 to strong F6 with gusts to 45mph, perhaps occasionally strong F7 in Alderney.
Waning Crescent

Shipping Forecast

General Situation
At 06:00UTC high, 1027mb, Azores, extended a ridge across the Channel. Low, 944mb, 300 miles southeast of Iceland, expected slow-moving and filling to 971mb by midday Friday. Associated fronts affecting the area at times.

11.2°C
Sea Temperature

Forecast from 12:00UTC Wednesday to 12:00UTC Thursday.
Wind
South to southwest 5 to 6, occasionally 4 near Brittany coast, occasionally 7 mid-Channel, generally increasing 6 to 7 for a time overnight, then again late morning, with gusts to 45kt likely mid-Channel.
Sea State
Moderate to rough, occasionally slight near Brittany coast, briefly very rough mid-Channel overnight.
Weather
Occasional rain, locally heavy.
Visibility
Good, becoming mainly moderate, locally poor.
Outlook from 12:00UTC Thursday to 12:00UTC Friday.
Wind
South 6 to 7, increasing 7 to gale 8 for a time in the afternoon and evening, with gusts to 55kt mid-Channel, veering west 5 to 6 by midnight, backing southwest 4 to 5 later.
Sea State
Rather rough to very rough, occasionally moderate near Brittany coast, decreasing moderate to rather rough with a moderate swell after midnight.
Weather
Occasional rain, locally heavy, clearing to isolated showers by midnight.
Visibility
Moderate or good, locally poor on Thursday, becoming mainly good by Friday.

Understanding the Forecast

The wind speed is given in the Beaufort Scale on an 8 point compass with a variability of +-45°. Terms commonly used in association with the wind and other parts of the forecast include:

Veering - a change of wind in the clockwise sense (up to 180°)
Backing – a change of wind in the anticlockwise sense (up to 180°)
At first – within the first 12 hours
Later – within the latter 12 hours
Occasional/occasionally – lasts less than half the time (location or time specific)
At times – non-persistent (lasts more than half the forecast period)
For a time – a transient state

Waves or sea state is the forecast of the mean of the largest 7% of combined wind and swell waves. Wind waves are locally produced waves; swell waves are produced by distant strong winds. Sea state descriptions equate to the following wave heights:

Description

Height

Smooth

< 0.5m

Slight

0.5 - 1.25m

Moderate

1.25 - 2.5m

Rough

2.5 - 4.0m

Very Rough

4.0 - 6.0m

High

6.0 - 9.0m

Very High

9.0 - 14.0m

Phenomenal

> 14m

Visibility measurements equate to the following distances in nautical miles and kilometers:

Description

Distance N.Mi

Distance Km

Good

> 5 n.mi

> 10 km

Moderate

2 - 5 n.mi

3.7 - 9 km

Poor

0.6 - 2 n.mi

1.0 - 3.7 km

Very Poor

< 0.6 n.mi

< 1000 m

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