Weather forecasts onboard

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For sailing Greece, Turkey…

HNMS concise text forecasts, wind & wave maps and forecasts for the sailing areas.

Toscana weather, select “Isole Grecia” or other area and select “Vento” for wind or “Altessa onda” for wave height.

Yr chart
Yr Athens, Aegina, Mykonos, Tinos, Paros, Patmos, Syros, Kos, Nafplion, Hydra , Andros, Rhodes, Santorini, Sifnos, Milos, Corfu, Lefkas, Ithaca, Datça, Bodrum, Marmaris, Chalkidiki (Porto Koufo), Chalkidiki (Sykia), Chalkidiki (Mt Athos), Lemnos (Myrina) Kyra Panagia (Ag Petros), Alonissos, Skopelos, Skiathos,  etc…

Windfinder chart
Windfinder Athens Alimos, Sounion / Olympic marina, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Folegandros, Santorini, Astypalaia, Amorgos, Naxos, Paros , Corfu, Lefkas, Ithaca, Datça, Bodrum, Marmaris, Skiathos, Nafplion, Hydra, Andros, Rhodes, Chalkidiki Koufos, Chalkidiki Sykia, Lemnos Myrina, Alonissos, Skopelos,  etc…

Sailing forecast Poseidon

Sailing weather maps Meteo.gr

University of Athens waves Cyclades, waves Aegean , winds Saronic Argolic

Weatheronline.co.uk AEGEAN chart
Weatheronline forecast Saronic / Athens, Paros, Naxos, Kos, Mykonos, Skiathos, etc…

Extremely fun to play with is the Earth's wind / waves / temp conditions,
or Venstusky – similar, more models,
or Windy – similar, with isobars, more models

Surface pressure charts from Wetterzentrale, Metoffice, BBC [under “Key and Options” select “Pressure”]

GRIB files can be found as well as viewed with XyGrib   

Meltemi, Greek chart terms, Lights and shapes, Forecast rain via clouds, Fishing hazards, Anchoring & Mediterranean mooring

Open Sea Map (OSM), C-Map

“God gave watches to the Europeans…
…and time to the Greeks”

Greece is 2 hours ahead of Universal Time (UT+2).
Like most states in Europe, Summer Time or Daylight Saving Time is observed in Greece, shifting time forward on the last Sunday in March by 1 hour: (UT+3).

After the Summer months (on the last Sunday in October) the time is shifted back by 1 hour: (UT+2).

Weather forecasts via VHF

Hours VHF Channel Name of station
0600 UTC

1000 UTC

1600 UTC

2200 UTC		 01 Mytilini (Lesvos)
02 Corfu
04 Syros
04 Moustakos (SW Crete)
23 Sfendami (S of Thessaloniki)
23 Astypalaia
25 Parnitha (Athens)
27 Phaistos (S Crete)
27 Kefalonia
60 Pilio (W of Skiathos)
63 Rhodes
82 Lemnos
83 Knossos (Crete)
83 Petalidi (SW Peloponnese)
85 Thasos
85 Sitia (E Crete)
85 Patras (NW Peloponnese)
85 Kythira
85 Chios
Which equates to the list below.
For example, when sailing in the Cyclades (i.e. in SW Aegean)
you should listen to channels 04, 25 or 85.
Meteorological area VHF Channels
NW Aegean 23    60
NE Aegean 82    85
Central Aegean 01    25    85
SW Aegean 04    25    85
SE Aegean 23    63    85
Ionian 02    27    83    85

A Greek bulletin – both in Greek and English – is divided into 4 parts:

  1. warnings: strong wind and thunderstorm warnings (GALE = 8 and 9 bft • STORM = 10 bft or higher)
  2. synopsis for the pressure systems affecting the area and their evolution.
  3. forecast for every sub-area containing Wind Direction and Force (in BEAUFORT scale), Sea (in DOUGLAS scale descriptive terms), Visibility (descriptive terms and when significantly reduced), Weather (when significant).
    Time terms:
    • very soon: expected the first 6 hours of forecast
    • soon: expected the next 6 hours of forecast
    • later: expected the last 12 hours of forecast
    Visibility:
    • very poor: less than 0.5 nautical miles
    • poor: 0.5 to less than 2 nautical miles
    • moderate: 2 to 5 nautical miles
    • good: greater than 5 nautical miles (*not mandatory)
  4. outlook for a further 12 hours

See the Greek NAVTEX stations (table of transmissions), the map of Greece with all Greek Coast Radio Stations and broadcasts, and Olympia Radio GMDSS Broadcasts RF VHF NAVTEX… [PDF]

Example Greek bulletin

Part 1
Melita continuing to 17/22 UTC northwest 7 or 8
Sidra over north continuing to 17/22 UTC west northwest 7 or 8

Part 2
General synopsis 17-04-24/03 UTC
Near stationary low with centre 997 Central Adriatic filling slowly and is expected 1001 by 17/21.00 UTC. Low with centre 998 by coasts of Libya is moving eastwards northeast and filling. High pressures 1012 over Taurus and Crusade

Part 3
Forecast up to 18 april 10 UTC

North Adriatic
north northwest 4 or 5 soon 3 or 4. Slight over south up to moderate

Central Adriatic
north northwest 5 over south part west northwest soon 4 or 5 over north 3 or 4. Chance of thunderstorm

South Adriatic
north northwest 5 very soon 4 or 5. Moderate. Thunderstorm

Boot
west northwest 5 or 6. Up to moderate. Chance of thunderstorm over north

Melita
northwest 7 or 8 decreasing later. Up to rough. Locally poor

Gabes
northwest 4 or 5 over east 5 or 6 very soon over west part northeast soon over east part northwest 4 or 5 and over west part east 3 or 4. moderate over east up to rough

Sidra
west northwest 5 or 6 over north 7 or 8. Moderate over north up to rough. Locally poor

North Ionio
west southwest 4 or 5 very soon from the north west northwest soon 5 or 6. Slight over west up to moderate. Thunderstorm

South Ionio
west northwest 4 or 5 very soon south of 36.00 5 or 6. Slight over south moderate. Chance of thunderstorm over north

Patraikos
west southwest 3 or 4. Up to slight. Thunderstorm

Korinthiakos
variable 3 or 4 very soon west northwest soon 4 or 5. Up to slight

Kithira Sea
west northwest 4 or 5 very soon west 5 or 6 soon 6. Up to moderate

Southwest Kritiko
west northwest 6 or 7. Moderate or rough

Southeast Kritiko Ierapetra
south southeast 5 or 6 over west part west southwest very soon over west 6 or 7 soon west 6. Slight over west up to moderate

Taurus
east northeast 3 up to 5 over west east southeast 4 or 5. Up to slight

Delta
east southeast 4 or 5 soon over west west northwest. Slight

Crusade
east 3 or 4 soon southeast 3 up to 5. Smooth or slight

Kastellorizo Sea
east southeast 5 or 6 and north of 36.00 6 or 7 soon south 4 or 5 and north of 36.00 east southeast 5 or 6. Up to moderate

Rodos Sea
southeast 6 or 7 soon south 5 or 6. Moderate

Karpathio
southeast 6 or 7 soon south southeast 5 or 6. Moderate

West Kritiko
west southwest 4 or 5 very soon west soon 6 or 7. Up to moderate

East Kritiko
south southeast 5 or 6 very soon south southwest soon 6 or 7. Up to moderate

Southwest Aegean
north northeast 4 soon west southwest 4 or 5 and south of 37.00 5 or 6. Slight

Southeast Aegean Ikario
southeast 6 or 7 soon east of 26.00 5 or 6 and west of 26.00 west southwest 5 or 6. Moderate

Samos Sea
southeast 6 or 7 soon 5 or 6. Moderate

Saronikos
east southeast 3 or 4 soon west northwest 4 or 5. Slight

South Evvoikos
southeast 3 or 4 soon west southwest. Slight

Kafireas Strait
south southeast 4 or 5 soon southwest. Up to moderate

Central Aegean
south southeast 5 or 6 soon south southwest 4 or 5. Moderate

Northwest Aegean
south southeast 4 or 5 soon west southwest. Slight over east moderate

Northeast Aegean
south 5 or 6 later west southwest 4 or 5. Moderate

Thrakiko
south southwest 5 or 6 later west southwest 3 up to 5. Moderate

Thermaikos
south southeast 4 or 5 soon west northwest 4. Slight. Chance of thunderstorm

Marmara
variable 3 or 4. Slight

West Black Sea
southwest 5 or 6 over east anticyclonic 3 up to 5 soon south southeast 4 or 5. Slight over west moderate. Chance of thunderstorm over west

East Black Sea
southeast 4 or 5 over west part northwest soon east 3 up to 5. slight

Part 4
Outlook for the next 12 hours
gale force winds not expected

Veering & backing winds

When a wind veers it changes direction in a clockwise direction. In other words, a westerly wind would become a north westerly wind.
A backing wind would change from a northerly wind to a north westerly wind.
A veering wind ↻ is generally associated with warm air advection. A backing wind ↺ is associated with cold air advection.

Eur. Centre Med-Range Weather Forecasts
Meteoblue