Welcome to the Weekly Weather Update – your guide to the world’s oceans and seas. Each week, we highlight key marine weather patterns and analyse unusual or significant weather events. From calm spells under high pressure to tropical cyclones forming in equatorial waters, and from jet streams steering oceanic storms to anomalies in sea-surface temperature that shape global climate patterns. Here’s what this week’s weather has in store.
The North Sea
Weather conditions over the Northern Atlantic will remain active in the coming week. Several low-pressure systems are expected to move northeast across the Atlantic, influencing the United Kingdom. The British Isles act as a partial barrier, limiting the impact on the North Sea. However, unsettled weather will still occur there at times.
Meanwhile, a high-pressure system over Scandinavia on Wednesday will shift southeast and merge with a broad ridge over western Russia. As a result, a ridge will persist over eastern Europe thereafter.
At the same time, high pressure will remain near the Azores, extending a ridge toward the North Sea during the weekend. This ridge is forecast to move further east and may develop into a separate high-pressure system over eastern Europe at the beginning of next week.
Weather conditions over the North Sea will be changeable during the coming week, though no severe weather is expected. Winds may locally increase to 25–30 knots at times. Significant wave heights will generally remain moderate, mostly below 2 meters. However, temporary local increases to 3.0–3.5 meters cannot be excluded.
The northern North Sea is expected to experience slightly more adverse conditions, with winds increasing to 30–35 knots, particularly during the weekend and at the beginning of next week. Significant wave heights are also forecast to increase during and after the weekend, reaching 3.5–5.0 meters at times (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Weather conditions over the North Sea during the weekend 28/02 – 01/03.
Although the weather remains changeable, there will still be sufficient workable windows across the region. Nevertheless, it is advised to closely monitor conditions and follow the latest weather forecast reports.
The northern Atlantic
The weather in the region remains unsettled, but it is not expected to be as severe as last week. Far offshore, winds are generally forecast to remain below 40 knots, with occasional slightly stronger gusts. Coastal areas are significantly calmer compared to a few days ago.
Nearshore winds along the U.S. East Coast and the southeastern coast of Canada are expected to reach 25–30 knots at times. Significant wave heights offshore remain high, with values up to 8.5–9 meters in some areas. Coastal regions may experience waves of 3.5–4 meters, with slightly higher values possible near Newfoundland.
Ireland will also be affected by the active weather pattern. On Wednesday, conditions are expected to be calm, becoming more unsettled from Thursday onward. Changeable winds of 25–30 knots are forecast from Thursday.
During the weekend, stronger frontal troughs may cause winds to occasionally increase to 35–40 knots, particularly west and south of Ireland. Offshore wave heights will often reach around 4 meters and may occasionally exceed 5 meters. A possible secondary low could approach Ireland from the southwest on Monday, bringing significantly more unsettled conditions. It is advised to closely monitor your weather reports to stay updated.
The Bay of Biscay is considerably calmer than last week. Nearshore winds are generally light, with occasional gusts of 25–30 knots far offshore and just northwest of France. Coastal wave heights are mostly below 2.5–3 meters, while the far offshore areas are slightly rougher, with waves generally reaching 3.5–4 meters.
Conclusion
Weather over the northern Atlantic is not as severe as last week, but conditions remain unsettled, continuing to affect many coastal regions. The North Sea will be less affected this week, though parts of the region can still expect periods of unsettled weather.
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