Importance of weather in navigation

Importance of meteorology: Maritime forecast

Before planning the navigation it is It is essential to assess the risk based on the weather.
The forecasts offered by the Weather reports are becoming more reliable, especially within the next 24 hours.
There should be no doubt in suspend or postpone an exit in case of bad weather forecasts and we must be familiar with the technical terms of the bulletins and their meaning.
If you are planning a long voyage, arrange for crew members to take turns listening to weather radio broadcasts at designated times.

Ways to get the weather forecast

Meteorological information for maritime areas is widely disseminated through different means, including:

VHF radio transmissions

By the Maritime Rescue Centers, Transmissions radio on medium wave and VHF by the Maritime Service Units.

Transmissions via the Navtex system

Through the four Maritime Rescue issuing centres.

Transmission via fax

From Maritime Rescue Centres to fishermen's associations, nautical clubs, pilot corporations and other maritime organisations, when there is a warning of a storm and/or forecast of adverse weather phenomena.

Web pages

There are many pages on the Internet that provide maritime meteorological information.
Among them, we can recommend the one from the State Meteorological Agency (www.aemet.es) which shows extensive general meteorological information for Spain, by autonomous and maritime communities, with real-time bulletins for coastal areas.

TELETIEMPO telephone weather information service

It is also a service of the State Meteorological Agency that provides maritime meteorological information up to the third day for coastal areas and high seas areas.
The numbers are as follows:

807 – 170 370: Coastal information for the Balearic Islands and high seas information for the Mediterranean.
807 – 170 371: Coastal information on the Mediterranean and high seas coastal provinces for the Mediterranean.

807 – 170 372: Coastal information for the Cantabrian and Galician coasts.
807 – 170 373: Coastal information for the western Andalusian coast and the Canary Islands.

807 – 170 374: High seas information for the Atlantic.

Preventive campaigns

The AEMET has launched the "National Plan for Prediction and Monitoring of Adverse Meteorological Phenomena" that it carries out for the Mediterranean during the autumn months, in anticipation of the so-called "cold drops".

Media (radio, television, newspapers, etc.)

Especially RNE Radio 5, which issues the bulletin for the high seas, three times a day During the seven days of the week, weather information is also provided on all radio and television stations, with special interest when adverse weather phenomena are expected..