Clouds on a calm morning

Most of us know that on a calm, hot day along the coast, a sea breeze may well develop around lunchtime, or even earlier. This happens when the land heats quicker than the sea and the air over it warms and rises, leaving cool air drawn in from the colder sea to fill the ‘vacuum’. Predicting a sea breeze can be helped by watching the formation of fluffy cumulus clouds over the land. These indicate that the warm, moist air is starting to rise at the ‘sea breeze front’, and are a good indication that an onshore wind will follow. If the clouds start streaming out over the water, it means the upper air current is in that direction. This encourages formation of a circulating sea-breeze engine, which will probably make the breeze stronger. It can kick up to force 6 in places, so keep a weather eye on the clouds.