Thursday
Weather
Virtually no wind this morning, then a light force 2 to 3 W’ly this afternoon. None of this is really going to help to shift the mist and fog patches which developed on Wednesday night. However, now that we are post-equinox, and what a special one it was this year, we are well aware that the sunshine has a little more power in it. Therefore, we will probably find that the mist becomes thin enough to allow the sunshine to penetrate by late morning, and then there is a chance that the murk will burn away all together for a few hours in the middle of the day. Temperature should lift from 10°C at dawn to around 13°C at lunchtime, then fall back to about 9°C during the night time.
Surf and the Water
Glassy clean 2-3 foot surf, turning just a little bit choppy towards the end of the day. Great swimming conditions all around the Island. Low tide will be at 10:50am. High tide will be about 7.2m at 4:50pm.
Friday and the Weekend
Weather
A moderate force 4 W’ly wind will be the first noticeable difference early morning Friday, then the thickening cloud will bring spits and spots of rain by lunchtime, followed by a spell of heavier rain and fresh force 5 winds in the afternoon. Those winds will veer NW’ly and increase strong force 6 overnight, leaving us with rather cold air on Saturday, along with some very gusty and rather heavy showers of rain or hail. There will be some brief sunny intervals on Saturday as well, but it won’t be until Sunday that they become prolonged and start to feel pleasant... due to the relaxation of the wind on Sunday, to just a force 4-5 W’ly again. Max temps should be 11°C Friday, just 9°C Saturday and then about 10°C Sunday. Overnight min temps will vary be about 8°C, 6°C and 8°C respectively.
Surf and the Water
The emphasis of activity will shift heavily towards windsurfing and kite-surfing, especially on Saturday. Wave heights will vary between 3 and 5 feet, but it will always be messy. Swimmers will need extreme shelter to find any kind of smoothness on the water… Fermain will be the most consistently smooth, but Moulin Huet, Saints and Petit Bot will also be good at times (mainly around high tide). Those highs will be around dawn and dusk (increasing incrementally from 7.9m to 8.7m). Low tides will be around midday.
Next Week
Weather
Monday and Tuesday look cloudy with occasional rain. The wind will change gradually from an initially strong S’ly to a moderate or gentle NE’ly. This will be due to a low pressure system moving from the mouth of the Channel down into Biscay and then into France. As it spends the rest of the week giving vicious weather (including plenty of snow) to the Pyrenees and the Swiss Alps, we will maintain a very light and variable airflow, with largely sunny skies by day and moon-lit/starry skies by night. Temperatures should peak in the mid-teens every day, giving a regularly beautiful spring feeling. There is the potential for some rather cold nights, but at this stage it seems that ground frost would be unlikely.
Surf and the Water
Looking like an excellent week for surfers… clean 2-3 foot waves on Monday, increasing 3-4 feet, possibly even 5 feet through the rest of the week. Swimming conditions should be good in most areas, most days, but the tidal movements will be large, with highs of just under 9m most days (around breakfast time and soon after dusk).
The next forecast update will be on Saturday morning…
Previous Weather Fox ForecastsTide Tables
Swim Conditions
Ormering
Lihou Causeway