travel Weather Report from a Caribbean Voyage

[stodge]

Mrs Stodge and I had a wonderful cruise on the P&O ship Aurora and I compiled this (hopefully) not too boring weather report of our voyage based on my observations, the cruise log, charts and the daily bridge reports.

 

If the Mods think this should be elsewhere, feel free to move.Enjoy:Saturday October 12th: Southampton: left port at 4.30pm BST. Weather fine but chilly with a light ENE’ly wind. Temperature 12c.Sunday October 13th: Western Approaches: a fine day under a ridge of High Pressure with initially very light or even calm conditions. Later in the afternoon, a SE’ly wind developed with high cloud as a frontal system approached. Maximum temperature 16c.Monday October 14th: West of Biscay: Overcast with rain for much of the day. The wind strengthened veering S’ly overnight and touching Gale Force 8 with a 4.5m swell by the early hours. The ship was passing SE and then South of a major storm system in the North Atlantic. Maximum Temperature 15c.Tuesday October 15th: West of Spain: In the early hours, a sharp change to a W’ly wind as the cold front pushed through as a squall line. Showers for much of the day with the wind veering NW’ly and showers dying out overnight. Maximum Temperature 16c early.Wednesday October 16th: Ponta Delgada, Azores: A fine and warm day with plenty of coastal sunshine but cloudier in the mountains. There had been heavy rain on the island but this had cleared. The ship departed in fine calm conditions at 3pm but by the evening the wind was strengthening and the swell was increasing. Maximum Temperature 21c.Thursday October 17th: Midatlantic: Captain reported at 10am major storm was 400 miles to the north of our position. The morning saw a strong W’ly wind with swell and occasional showers. By the afternoon, these had cleared and it was fine. Maximum Temperature 22c. By the evening, more cloud had developed in a light NW’ly.Friday October 18th: Midatlantic: A light N’ly breeze but swell had almost faded. Position around 31 degrees North. Fine and increasingly sunny with a maximum temperature of 25c. Barometer at 1021MB and rising.Saturday October 19th: Western Atlantic: A light SE’ly developed during the day. Pressure had fallen to 1019MB. Early cloud and a light shower followed by a fine afternoon with variable cloud. Maximum Temperature 27c. Later in the afternoon and into the evening, the SE’ly breeze increased bringing more cloud and occasional light showers.Sunday October 20th: crossed the Tropic of Cancer at 4.20am: Warmer and much more humid day – maximum temperature 28c. Moderate to fresh S’ly wind. Dry for the most part but hazy with variable cloud and some cloudier periods. Pressure 1016MB.Monday October 21st: St John’s, Antigua: Fine and very watrm morning but cloud soon developed with a heavy shower at midday. Afternoon dry but cloudy. Maximum temperature 31c with an ESE’ly wind becoming a fresh E’ly by departure (6pm). Captain advised of a “weak tropical wave approaching from the southâ€.Tuesday October 22nd: Castries, St Lucia: Fine and hot morning. Strengthening E’ly wind and developing cloud lead to a heavy shower midday with further showers and thunderstorms into the afternoon. Maximum temperature 32c. More cloud and storms into the evening delaying our departure by 4 hours to 10pm.Wednesday October 23rd: Bridgetown, Barbados: Early shower in a moderate E’ly breeze which faded later. Dry in the afternoon and becoming increasingly hot and humid. Maximum temperature 32c.Thursday October 24th: Roseau, Dominica: Cloudy with early showers in a moderate E’ly wind. Becoming fine from late morning into the afternoon and very hot. Cloudy late in te afternoon with heavy showers on departure (6pm). Temperature 32c.Friday October 25th: Phillipsburg, St Maarten: Fine, sunny and very hot. Moderate E’ly breeze veering SE’ly by afternoon. Maximum temperature 34c. Captain advised return Atlantic crossing would be fair with NE’ly trade winds and a fading tropical disturbance clearing to the North.Saturday October 26th: Subtropical Atlantic: Fine, very warm and mostly sunny with a moderate E’ly breeze. In late afternoon, cloudier and showers were observed on the horizon. Maximum temperature 29c.Sunday October 27th: Subtropical Atlantic: Re-crossed Tropic of Cancer at 2pm. Fine and very warm day with variable cloudand a moderate E’ly breeze. Maximum temperature 29c. Captain advised of “stable atmospheric conditions for the next few days†but cloud developed late pm with showers in the evening.Monday October 28th: Midatlantic: Showers early but soon becoming fine with a fresh E’ly breeze. Maximum temperature 29c with a barometer of 1023MB.Tuesday October 29th: Midatlantic: Fine, sunny and often clear day with a moderate E’ly breeze. Maximum temperature 28c and barometer 1025MB.Wednesday October 30th: Midatlantic: More cloud and a stronger E’ly breeze. Captain advised “we are moving out of the influence of the Midatlantic High Pressure†and expected a NW’ly for our stop in Madeira on Friday. Maximum temperature 25c.Thursday October 31st: Eastern Atlantic: Fine, sunny day after a cloudy start. E’ly backing NE’ly moderate to fresh wind suggesting we were moving round the southern end of the High Pressure cell. Barometer 1025MB. Maximum temperature 25c.Friday November 1st: Funchal, Madeira: Fine, sunny and very warm day – maximum temperature 24c. Light E’ly breeze with a little cloud and mist over the mountains. Chart suggested secondary HP cell over Iberia so remaining in fine conditions. However, Captain warned of 4.5m swell in Biscay on Sunday.Saturday November 2nd: North of Madeira: Early cloud but soon fine and sunny. Light winds early but a NW’ly developed pm veering W’ly with increasing swell by late evening. Maximum temperature 23c.Sunday November 3rd: Biscay: Cloudy and much cooler. Noticeable awell from early but an initial N wind and veered to a W’ly Force 6 by noon. Barometer 1022MB but falling rapidly by early pm. Temperature 18c at noon. Weather cleared into afternoon with some sunshing late afternoon but cloud returned early evening.By sunset (5.30pm), cloud thickening from N and W as we approached an LP storm tracking into the Western Approaches and up the Channel Sunday night into Monday morning. Rain started late evening.Woken at 3.30am with high seas and swell. Captain reported early Monday wind touched Force 10 at 4.30am with swell running in excess of 7m and heavy rain.Monday November 4th: off NW French coast and entering Channel: Barometer 997MB and rising as storm passed to the East. By morning wind had moderated significantly while swell faded during the day. W’ly force 5 at noon but backed N’ly later in the day. Early showers eased to leave dry but cool afternoon with temperatures of 13c.Tuesday November 5th: Southampton: Docked at 7am and disembarked at 10.15. Early rain had cleared to leave a cool, dry morning. 

Edited November 13, 2013 by stodge

[johnholmes]

glad you enjoyed it-not for me I do not like water that goes up and down, well aything more than 1m!