Local Weather & Tides
Mostly you will wish to know the forecasts for Southampton and the Solent. The websites below provide data on the weather expected in Southampton (you can add up to 5 to 10 knots windspeed for the western Solent) and the current weather / tidal situation on the Brambles Bank (mid Solent).
Current
weather
Southampton Forecast - 5 day forecast - BBC
Solent Weather Forecast - Solent - 7 day forecast - Metcheck
Solent Tidal Forecast - Solent - Tidal forecast - Tides
Current Weather (Brambles Bank) - Current Weather & Tide mid Solent - BRAMBLEMET
Wind Map Of UK
If you would like to view the the movement of weather, showing surface wind and pressure have a look at
www.passageweather.com
and select the area you want to view. Very useful for passage planning if you are looking at going across the channel.
JET STREAMS The weather in the UK is largely governed by the position and intensity of the Atlantic Jet Streams high above us in the atmosphere. They flow west to east and are similar to the Gulf Stream that flows across the Atlantic from the USA to Europe.
The weather as we know it forms under these jet streams.
So you can use the jet stream maps below to see not just how intense the jet streams are, but also whether the weather systems underneath them are likely to intensify or not.
SYNOPTIC CHARTS The Jet streams drive the atmospheric pressure distribution, in turn creating warm and cold fronts, which in turn determine the winds and precipitation that we experience and which we know as 'The Weather'.
As sailors, we have all learnt to read these 'Synoptic Charts' and interpret / forecast the likely weather. The Website below contains Synoptic forecasts for the next 84 hours.
Jet Stream Website
Southampton Tide Tables
MET Office Synoptic Chart Website
