Weather channels from Mike Oram

Day 2 in Dover, I think we're going to have cross our fingers for the weather gods to cooperate later this week.

Old shot (2001) but we haven't changed much, ha!

Thanks to my experienced pilot, Mike Oram, he has shared some of the weather sites he checks before bringing out swimmers. I will share them with you, so you can experience some of the craziness we go through. I try not to look too much and know too much about swimming the channel, except "I do"... best to trust in your crew, get in the water, put your head down and swim to France, usually works for me.

Enjoy.

The weather sites used by the pilots are --

www.metoffice.gov.uk  enter Dover Harbor

Bit of everything from this site. It's the one on which most of the other sites are based. You can type in Dover (Langdon heights) for the land weather. - Or go to coast & sea and look at the inshore waters forecast for North Foreland to Selsey Bill . There is also a 12 hour predicted Atlantic pressure chart for the next 4 days which will show you the weather patterns that are affecting the UK. The tighter the iso-bar lines are together the stronger the winds. There is an explanation of the forecast and how it works on this site too.

www.bbc.co.uk/weather enter Dover, Kent

Gives you the shipping forecast - inshore waters forecast - coastal weather forecast (up to 12 miles out to sea) - the synopsis charts for both the British isles and the Atlantic (use the Atlantic chart for the best view) - a 5 day prediction of local weather (not very often right). This site also explains weather and has a lot of interesting reading in its supplementary articles.

Best sight for a basis, simple explanation and prediction of what they think will happen.

www.xcweather.co.uk enter Dover

This is a very interesting site for weather around the UK and in Europe. It is linked to the data buoys like the one above and gives you a five day prediction. This site is good to watch if you want to see and understand how the "predictions" vary from the "actual" wind. Will help you realize that the Channel is very unpredictable and runs on a pattern of its own. Not usually 5that accurate for the Channel but aimed at windsurfers etc. in coastal waters.

http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=47919 no need to put any location, all set

This is another site that predicts further into the future with up to 10 days forecast, unfortunately not that accurate, but worth looking at if you want to be optimistic.

Which one do you want to believe, or are they all "Pie in the Sky"

At the moment the British weather pattern for the South East and the Channel shows us in the "jet-stream" of low pressure depressions. We are sitting on the "polar front which has moved about 150 miles South and is giving us all these problems.

Regards

Michael

BTW: enjoying a glass of red while watching Murray vs. Federer at Wimbledon

... and yes, the water is cold.

Dream, Prepare, Succeed