After a few calm days, unsettled weather is expected to return to the North Sea. Ex-hurricane KIRK, in particular, will bring gale-force winds and high seas to the region.
A typical low-pressure area over the Celtic Sea is moving ENE into the North Sea today and tomorrow. Meanwhile, ex-hurricane KIRK is advancing eastward via the Atlantic and is expected to reach the Bay of Biscay by Wednesday. KIRK is forecast to move northeast through Germany and could be positioned over southern Sweden by Thursday. By this time, the previously mentioned low-pressure system will have merged with the ex-hurricane.
The strongest winds are expected behind KIRK early on Thursday, with gale-force winds from the north. High waves will follow on Thursday and Friday, with significant wave heights above 5 meters anticipated over Forties and Viking.
Figure 1: Severe weather chart of the North Sea this week. The highest waves this week are expected over the North Sea on Thursday and Friday.
