So who's right - and why the difference?

[Dave_Snelson]

So who\'s right - and why the difference?

Check out these two weather forecasts for the Cardigan Bay area. They are wildly different. Why?? What can a boater rely on?

http://www.onlineweather.com/v4/uk/sailing/SF33.html

I know the obvious answer is to get a local forecast but hey!

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[jimi]

Re: So who\'s right - and why the difference?

Met Office Inshore Forecast

St Davids Head to Colwyn Bay, including St Georges Channel.

24 hour forecast:
Wind: south soon veering southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 today, increasing west or southwest 6 or 7 overnight.
Weather: blustery showers.
Visibility: moderate or good.
Sea State: moderate or rough.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
Wind: west 6 or 7 gradually backing southwest 4 or 5, later south or southwest 5 or 6.
Weather: blustery showers dying out, rain later.
Visibility: moderate or good.
Sea State: moderate or rough

<hr width=100% size=1>.. when's that again, but ..

 

[Mike21]

Re: So who\'s right - and why the difference?

Used onlineweather before, generally found not that accurate. Met office forcast tends to give worst case, over whole area covered and not accurate for local areas.
Tend use either BBC gives reasonable accurate local area forcast, although sometimes get it wrong also, but also normally give present wind conditions taken locally.
Suspect theyr.net more accurate


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[steverow]

Re: So who\'s right - and why the difference?

Maybe this is something peculiar to Wales...My boat is in Swansea and we get much the same thing down there....some forecasts are often way out.
Personally I use several sources ie...USAF weather charts (updated virtually real time by overflying aircraft)..met office inshore forecast usually v. reliable, met office texts to my phone, and sometimes the databuoys..the Pembroke one is particularly useful for trend of sea state, plus of course Navtex and WFax(which are probably just a repeat of the metoffice data).

Of course nobody can legislate for the input clerk who inadvertantly puts the Scottish Forecast into the Welsh sector...does it ever happen??...well only they know that...but I'm betting it does..

Cheers

Steve


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