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
Similar to last week, the start of this week will be marked by low pressure influences over the North Sea, while high pressure generally prevails over central and eastern Europe. Over the northern North Sea in particular, this leads to unsettled conditions on Wednesday and Thursday. By the end of the week, high pressure develops over the northern Atlantic, extending a ridge across the northern and central North Sea during the weekend. However, current projections foresee unsettled weather over the southern North Sea at that stage.
On Tuesday, low pressure lingers over the Atlantic, while a secondary low develops over the northern parts of the British Isles, tracking NE over the northern North Sea to southern Scandinavia on Wednesday. This leads to rough conditions over the northern North Sea by then, with wind speeds locally reaching 40 kts and significant wave heights between 5-6 meters. In contrast, with wave heights below 3 meters and wind speeds below 30kts, it is calmer over the southerly areas in the North Sea.
On Thursday afternoon and Friday, weak ridges extend over the North Sea from the northern Atlantic and central Europe, producing the calmest conditions of the week. Wind speeds generally stay below 15 kts, and wave speeds remain below 3 meters in the entire North Sea. It remains rather calm over the northern and central North Sea during the weekend, as the aforementioned ridge expands and strengthens over these areas. Low pressure develops over the Bay of Biscay in the meantime, affecting the southern North Sea. The pressure gradient tightens over these areas, bringing stronger, easterly winds to these areas, locally reaching up to 35 kts. Wave heights may increase to around 3 meters, though this rise will remain limited due to the short fetch available for wave development.
East Asia
Tropical influences remain dominating the weather patterns over eastern Asia this week. Typhoon Kalmaegi has dissipated in the meantime, but Typhoon Fung-Wong (32W in last week’s Weekly Weather Update) has strengthened in the past days. After having affected the Philippines during the weekend, causing casualties and displacing thousands, the typhoon is now located over the South China Sea (Figure 2) while weakening to the level of Severe Tropical Storm and curving northeastward towards Taiwan. Fung-Wong, currently leading to wind speeds of 65 kts and gusts of 80 kts, is projected to reach Taiwan on Wednesday, having slightly weakened by then.
Still, adverse weather conditions can be expected over Taiwan, with average wind speeds of 45 kts and gusts of 55 kts. The system tracks NE-ward over the island, before turning further ENE and then E on Thursday and Friday. By that time, Fung-Wong has weakened further into a Tropical Depression, affecting the Japanese Ryukyu Islands with average wind speeds of 30 kts.
Figure 2: The expected track of Fung-Wong this week.
Conclusion
Over the North Sea, changeable conditions can be expected this week. The period starts unsettled over the northern North Sea, while it remains rather calm over the southern areas at first. After a calm Friday, these conditions will reverse during the weekend: rough conditions are foreseen over the southern North Sea, while the northern and central area remain largely unaffected.
In East Asia, Tropical Cyclone Fung-Wong affects the weather in the meantime. Although the system reached its peak intensity last weekend and weakens to a Severe Tropical Storm, it will still bring hazardous conditions to Taiwan on Wednesday and the Ryukyu Islands later in the week. It is of great importance to be careful there and stay up to date about the latest weather information.
To remain informed, we encourage you to consult the latest weather reports. Stay safe and until next week!
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