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Bridge bunting
Bridge bunting Picture by Peter Frankland
Today
High
16°
Low
13°
45%
F4
Tomorrow
High
16°
Low
10°
30%
F5
Mon, 26 May
High
15°
Low
11°
25%
F4
Tue, 27 May
High
16°
Low
12°
35%
F5
Wed, 28 May
High
17°
Low
12°
20%
F5
Thu, 29 May
High
17°
Low
12°
25%
F5
Fri, 30 May
High
17°
Low
12°
25%
F3
Morning, Today
High
16°
Cloudy, perhaps with some drizzle, especially at first. Mist and hill fog at times.
45%
3
UV
F4
West to southwest moderate F4, likely fresh F5 at times, mainly in Alderney.
Sunrise 04:18
Afternoon
High
16°
Cloudy with the chance of some patchy drizzle. Some mist or hill fog possible.
35%
3
UV
F4
West to southwest moderate F4, likely fresh F5 at times, mainly in Alderney.
Sunset 19:58
Night
Low
13°
Cloudy with occasional rain by midnight, perhaps briefly heavy, clearing before dawn.
95%
F5
Southwest moderate F4 to fresh F5, perhaps occasionally strong F6, veering west later.
Waning Crescent

Shipping Forecast

General Situation
At 18:00UTC Azores high, 1030mb, extended a ridge over the Channel Islands, expected to decline. Low, 985mb, just west of Iceland, expected Hebrides by midday Sunday. Associated fronts effecting the area at times.

14.8°C
Sea Temperature

Forecast from 00:00UTC Saturday to 00:00UTC Sunday.
Wind
West to southwest 3 to 5, occasionally variable 2 in the far south of the area through the daytime, occasionally 6 mid-Channel after dusk.
Sea State
Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate by mid-afternoon, further increasing rather rough in the far northwest late evening.
Weather
Patchy light rain or drizzle, with a risk of mist patches, mainly mid-Channel.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at times.
Outlook from 00:00UTC Sunday to 00:00UTC Monday.
Wind
Southwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6 in the north of the area before dawn, veering west soon after dawn, generally increasing 5 to 6 for a time late afternoon.
Sea State
Locally slight in the south and east through the morning, otherwise moderate to rather rough.
Weather
Drizzle and mist patches, soon turning to heavier rain, then clearing to isolated showers around dawn.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at first.

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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