Local Hazardous Weather Conditions

• Hazardous weather at the Port of Palma is limited to high winds and/or waves from southeast clockwise to southwest. Other conditions, such as Mistral winds and the sea breeze, are more bothersome than hazardous. The following guidelines have been extracted from a variety of sources, including on-site discussions with harbor personnel. They are intended to assist in forecasting hazardous (or in some cases, just bothersome) weather events.

• Southerly Winds and Waves: Southerly winds raise the level of the water in the harbor, and northerly winds lower it. When the water level rises, a southerly wind can be expected in 5 to 6 hours. Note: Because the water level also varies with barometric pressure changes, this guideline must be used with caution by visiting mariners.

• Southerly winds can raise waves (sea and swell) of 10 to 13 ft. Southerly swell often precedes the wind that raised it.

• Sustained south to southwesterly winds of 20 kt or greater can cause boating difficulties at the Palma large ship anchorage. Brief periods (2-4 hours) of 20 kt southwesterly winds can cause 5 ft seas.

• Northerly winds: When the water level in the harbor lowers, a northerly wind can be expected in 5 to 6 hours. Note: Because the water level also varies with diurnal barometric pressure changes, this guideline must be used with caution by visiting mariners. Even though the winds may be strong and of Mistral origin, port operations are not affected.

• Northwesterly winds result in very good visibilities at Palma.

• Easterly winds (Levante) have no effect on port operations, but indicate that cloudy, rainy weather can be expected for 3 days after onset.

• Very heavy northwesterly squalls are sometimes experienced.

• Sea and land breeze: The local sea breeze, called 'Embat,' is consistent, starting at solar noon on warm days, and reaches force 3 to 4 (7-10 to 11-16 kt) by late afternoon. It has a southerly direction, and can generate 3 ft seas at the anchorage. The sea breeze normally calms at sunset, with the seas calming shortly thereafter. The summer open ocean wind is from the south to southwest about 30% of the time with an average speed of 8 kt. When this is reinforced by the sea breeze, wind waves of 3 to 5 ft will occur at this anchorage area.

• Winds at the airport, located 7 miles east of the port, are oftentimes twice as strong as winds at the port.

• Local weather sources include VHF channel 16, NAVTEX, and the web at http://www.aemet.es/en/nuevaweb . There are 3 nearby weather observation stations: one at the Meteorology Center, near the port passenger terminal, one on the south quay, and one at the airport.