Other Weather sources

While Dart Harbour web site provides live inshore and shipping weather reports on its directly from the Met Office there are many sources of weather information. The main ones are HM Coastguard, BBC Radio, NAVTEX and satellite broadcasts.

Brixham – VHF Ch 23 (Dartmouth Area) tel: 01803 882704
Routine weather broadcasts are normally broadcast every four hours at: 0500, 0450, 0850, 1250, 1650 and 2050 (all times GMT). The 0850 and 2050 also include the Shipping Forecast. The broadcasts include Marinecall Inshore Waters Forecast and any gale or strong winds’ warnings in force.

Shipping Forecasts LW on 1515m (198 kHz) and some transmissions are on VHF. It is read out on Radio 4 at 0048, 0536, 1201 and 1754 (local time). The forecast gives a summary of gale warnings in force, a general synopsis and area forecasts for specified sea areas around the UK. The radio bulletin also includes the coastal weather reports (0048 and 0536 only).

NAVTEX is an automated service that provides navigational and weather warnings and urgent information to ships. The national NAVTEX service is broadcast on 490kHz. It gives inshore waters forecast twice daily, a three-day outlook twice daily and strong wind warnings.

Using Met Office data, Marinecall provides weather information for coastal, inshore and offshore UK sea areas.

• Weather reports from current observations and six-hour summaries, to 48-hour and five-day forecasts
• Supplied by telephone, fax, email, SMS, MMS and WAP
• Forecasts include gale and strong wind warnings; the general situation; wind speed and direction, probability and strength of gusts, developing weather conditions, visibility and sea state

The Stoke Gabriel weather station, funded by theStoke Gabriel Boating Association is also a useful source.

www.stokegabrielweather.org.uk