INSHORE WATERS FORECASTS:
Where to find an inshore waters forecast?
- Met Office Website / App
- VHF Marine Safety Information Broadcasts
- BBC Radio 4
- NavTex
INTERPRETING & UNDERSTANDING AN INSHORE WATERS FORECAST:
Beaufort wind scale:
Wind:
| DESCRIPTION | DIRECTION |
| WIND DIRECTION | Wind direction shown is where its blowing 'from' i.e. North = Blowing from the North |
| VEERING | The wind direction will change clockwise |
| BACKING | The wind direction will change anti-clockwise |
Time Scales:
| DESCRIPTION | TIME |
| IMMINENT | Expected within 6 hours |
| SOON | Expected within 6 - 12 hours |
| LATER | Expected in more than 12 hours |
Sea State:
| DESCRIPTION | WAVE HEIGHT |
| SMOOTH | Less than 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 - 9.0 / 9.0 - 14.0m |
| PHENOMENAL | More than 14.0m |
Visibility:
| DECRIPTION | VISIBILITY DISTANCE |
| GOOD | More than 5 nautical miles |
| MODERATE | Between 2 - 5 nautical miles |
| POOR | Between 1000 metres - 2 nautical miles |
| FOG | Less than 1000 metres |
E.G. INSHORE FORECAST:
INTEPRETATION:
24 HOUR FORECAST
WIND:
A North East wind (blowing from the NE) Varying between 10 knots of less, becoming 7 - 16 knots
Rotating anti-clockwise to a Northerly (blowing from the North) 17 - 27 knots
SEA STATE:
Wave height between 0 - 1.25m, after 12 hours occasionally it will be 1.25 - 2.5m
WEATHER:
Wet drizzle, with visibility of less than 1000 metres at the beginning
VISIBILITY:
Between 2 - 5 nautical miles, occasionally 1000m - 2 Nautical miles then becomes more than 5 nautical miles.
Downloads:
Shipping & Marine Forecast glossary