The Volvo crews are preparing for heavy weather tomorrow morning in the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan, with 6 metre seas and gusts up to 50 knots. The real problem is that they’re beating into it.
Meanwhile, Mich’ Desj’ and the Vendée Globe organisers will be glad he’s not going to reach Biscay for another week. Take a look at this:
And now the Shipping Forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 1725 on Friday 23 January 2009.
There are warnings of gales in Viking South Utsire Fisher Humber Thames Dover Wight Portland Biscay trafalgar Fitzroy Sole Shannon Rockall Malin Hebrides Bailey Fair Isle Faeroes and Southeast Iceland.
The general synopsis at midday:
Low Bailey 945 slow moving, filling 958 by midday tomorrow. Low Thames 962 expected skagerrak 975 by same time. Low 300 miles west of Fitzroy 973 expected southern france 981 by that time. New low expected 270 miles southwest of Rockall 967 by midday tomorrow.The area forecasts for the next 24 hours:
Viking North Utsire South Utsire northeast Forties southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in Viking and South Utsire. Rough or very rough. Rain or showers. Moderate or good.
Southwest Forties Cromarty Forth Tyne Dogger:
Mainly westerly 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Showers. Mainly good.Fisher German Bight:
Easterly or cyclonic becoming westerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in Fisher. Moderate or rough increasing rough or very rough. Rain or snow. Moderate or poor.Humber Thames Dover Wight Portland Plymouth:
Northwest backing southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first except in Plymouth. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough. showers, some squally. Mainly good.Biscay:
Cyclonic becoming westerly severe gale 9 to violent storm 11, occasionally hurricane force 12 in south, decreasing 5 to 7 later. very rough or high, increasing very high in south. Rain or squally showers. Poor or very poor.Fitzroy:
Cyclonic becoming northwesterly severe gale 9 to violent storm 11, occasionally hurricane force 12 in south, backing southwesterly gale 8 to storm 10. Very rough or high, increasing very high in south. Rain or squally showers. Poor or very poor.Sole:
Northwesterly 5 to 7 backing southerly 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. Very rough or high. Rain or squally showers. Good becoming moderate or poor.Lundy Fastnet Irish Sea:
Westerly backing southerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 in Fastnet later. rough or very rough. Showers. Moderate or good.Shannon:
Westerly 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. Rough or very rough, occasionally high. Showers then rain. Good becoming moderate or poor.Rockall Malin Hebrides Bailey:
West or southwest, backing south in Rockall later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8. Very rough or high. Squally showers. moderate or good.Fair Isle Faeroes Southeast Iceland:
Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7. Very rough or high. Rain or squally showers. moderate or poor.
Force 12 starts at 118 Km/hour, so the Red Alert issued in the Météo France land forecast, warning of 170 Km/hour gusts on the south Biscay coastal plain tallies with the UK shipping forecast above. Anyone at sea in southern Biscay or southern Fitzroy (the area to the west of Biscay) can expect winds gusting over 90 knots. That’s worse than the 85 knots Dee Caffari, Brian Thompson and others were hiding from as they delayed their approach to Cape Horn.
Biscay is living up to its reputation.
