OBSERVATION LINKS
1. Live Lightning Detector — Blitzortung
A real-time global lightning detection map showing storm activity, cloud-to-ground strikes, and convective intensity.
USE: Track thunderstorms, squall lines, and developing convection.
2. Pilot Chart “2.0” — Climate Reanalyzer
A modern interpretation of pilot charts using reanalysis data.
Displays monthly wind climatology, currents, SST, pressure, and storm probabilities.
USE: Long-range planning for ocean passages
3. EUMETSAT Satellite Imagery
A real-time global lightning detection map showing storm activity, cloud-to-ground strikes, and convective intensity.
USE: Track thunderstorms, squall lines, and developing convection.
4. ASCAT — High-resolution Scatterometer Wind
Scatterometer-derived wind speed and direction with ~12.5 km resolution.
USE: verify weather model accuracy and examine real ocean wind structures and gradients.
5. OSCAT-3 — Wide-coverage Scatterometer Wind
A real-time global lightning detection map showing storm activity, cloud-to-ground strikes, and convective intensity.
USE: Track thunderstorms, squall lines, and developing convection.
6. Satellite Significant Wave Height (SGWH)
Satellite altimeter measurements of significant wave height (Hs).
USE: Confirm real wave conditions, detect swell trains, compare with wave models.
7. National Data Buoy Center (NOAA)
World’s largest buoy network providing real-time:
wind, wave height/period/direction, SST, barometric pressure, and offshore conditions.
USE: Ground-truth to validate satellite and forecast data.
8. Spanish Buoy Network — Puertos del Estado
Spanish national buoy and oceanographic observation system.
Provides detailed wave, wind, currents, tides, and SST data.
USE: Highly accurate for the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic Spain.
9. French Buoy Network — AlloSurf
Visual access to French and European buoy data: waves, wind, and sea temperature.
USE: Quick look at live conditions in the Bay of Biscay and French Mediterranean.
FORECAST COMPARISONS
Forecast Comparison / “Spaghetti” Charts — Meteocentre
What it is: a “multi-model comparison” or “spaghetti chart” showing outputs from several deterministic weather-forecast models over Europe. Typically it plots variables like mean sea level pressure (MSLP), 500 hPa geopotential height, or surface temperature over a forecast period (e.g. 0–240 h). link
Why it matters:
- You see at a glance how different models agree or diverge — a tight cluster of lines suggests high confidence; widely spread “spaghetti” indicates uncertainty. ski.com.au
- Useful for planning: if models diverge, you know to expect increased uncertainty (in pressure fields, fronts, storms).
- For ocean navigation or meteorology: you can judge how stable a weather pattern might be, or whether there are alternate scenarios (storm paths, pressure changes, etc.).
Use case: route planning, forecasting uncertainty, deciding whether to trust a single forecast or wait for convergence of multiple models.
GRIB INFORMATION
openWRF — High-Resolution Regional Weather & Wave Forecasts
What is it
- openWRF is a regional numerical weather (and sea) model that produces GRIB forecast files for specific maritime and coastal zones (Mediterranean, Atlantic coasts, etc.). OpenSkiron – Home
- Forecasts come in two main resolutions:
- 12 km grid → forecast for ~5 days ahead OpenSkiron – OpenWRF Gribs
- 4 km grid → higher-resolution, shorter-range forecast (~2 days) OpenSkiron – OpenWRF Gribs
What the GRIBs include (data types)
When you download an openWRF GRIB, you get not only wind and waves but also a rich set of meteorological and ocean parameters: OpenSkiron – OpenWRF Gribs
- Wind at 10 m (speed & direction) + gusts
- Mean sea level pressure
- Precipitation, cloud cover, humidity, surface temperature
- Stability / convection indicators (e.g. CAPE) — useful to anticipate squalls/thunderstorms OpenSkiron – Home
- Sea state data: significant wave height, swell & wind-sea height, swell/wind-sea periods and directions
- Sea currents (velocity & direction) when available (because they integrate sea-current data from service models) OpenSkiron – OpenWRF Gribs
What you can do with it on the site
- Download GRIB forecast files for many maritime regions. OpenSkiron – Wind-Wave
- View “Wind-Wave” interactive forecasts online: pick a region, put a pin on the map — then see tables/graphs with forecast evolution (atmosphere + sea) for the next 48–120 hours. OpenSkiron – OpenWRF Gribs
- Look at ready-made chart outputs (pressure, wind, waves, etc.) for quick overview. OpenSkiron – Charts
Why it’s useful — what it adds compared to global models
- Regional, non-hydrostatic model → better at simulating local weather phenomena, convection, sea breezes, coastal effects, squalls — especially in complex zones (coasts, islands, Mediterráneo). OpenSkiron – Why are Regional Models needed?
- High spatial resolution means you capture smaller-scale features (winds funnels, local gusts, wave fields, swell vs wind-sea differentiation) that global models often smooth out.
- Combined atmosphere + wave + currents data — very useful for sailing / coastal navigation / passage planning.
FORECAST AI MODELS
ECMWF Aurora — Medium-range Wind & Geopotential (1000 hPa)
What is it
A forecast map from Aurora, ECMWF’s new machine-learning global weather model, showing wind (u/v components) and geopotential height (z) at 1000 hPa.
What it shows:
- Near-surface wind patterns (speed + direction)
- High and low pressure systems via geopotential height lines
- Medium-range forecast for a selected region (here: Southern Africa)
Why it’s useful:
Gives a fast, smooth, high-resolution view of large-scale wind flow and pressure patterns — a good complement to traditional NWP models.