The European sea atlas
Share of days when waves passed 2.5 m, the height at which most people stop enjoying themselves and tender calls start being cancelled. 2015 to 2024.
Days above 2.5 mSettled 0-10%Mostly calm 10-25%Mixed 25-45%Often lively 45-65%Frequently rough 65%+
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mediterranean | ||||||||||||
| Alboran Sea | 13 | 23 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| Balearic Sea | 17 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 12 |
| Gulf of Lion | 42 | 34 | 32 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 31 | 28 |
| Ligurian Sea | 13 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 9 |
| Tyrrhenian Sea | 19 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 16 |
| Sardinian Sea | 34 | 30 | 25 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 27 |
| Strait of Sicily | 19 | 15 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 20 |
| Ionian Sea | 27 | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 20 |
| Adriatic Sea | 8 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Aegean Sea | 25 | 23 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Cretan Sea | 28 | 23 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| Levantine Sea | 28 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 |
| Atlantic and Iberia | ||||||||||||
| Gulf of Cadiz | 22 | 29 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 25 |
| Portuguese Atlantic | 67 | 77 | 75 | 47 | 27 | 20 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 48 | 65 | 71 |
| Madeira and Canaries | 29 | 36 | 37 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 26 | 29 |
| Bay of Biscay | 72 | 83 | 77 | 40 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 33 | 55 | 72 | 78 |
| Celtic Sea | 75 | 90 | 78 | 42 | 26 | 25 | 18 | 27 | 43 | 61 | 75 | 83 |
| English Channel | 37 | 35 | 29 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 20 | 35 | 46 |
| Irish Sea | 29 | 31 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 25 | 39 |
| North Sea and Baltic | ||||||||||||
| Southern North Sea | 43 | 37 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 25 | 37 | 39 |
| Central North Sea | 60 | 60 | 40 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 30 | 40 | 52 | 59 |
| Northern North Sea | 79 | 76 | 63 | 40 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 46 | 58 | 65 | 80 |
| Skagerrak | 41 | 35 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 26 | 29 | 32 |
| Kattegat | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 10 |
| Western Baltic | 14 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Central Baltic | 37 | 27 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 21 | 23 | 32 |
| Gulf of Finland | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Norway and the far north | ||||||||||||
| Norwegian Sea | 91 | 90 | 83 | 54 | 37 | 24 | 11 | 24 | 52 | 65 | 76 | 88 |
| Lofoten and Vesteralen | 30 | 29 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 23 | 29 |
| Barents Sea approach | 68 | 70 | 62 | 42 | 28 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 46 | 50 | 63 |
| Faroe and Iceland waters | 92 | 90 | 82 | 56 | 38 | 24 | 13 | 21 | 54 | 69 | 79 | 86 |
Every cell is a decade of daily records. Pick a sea to see it week by week.
Where these numbers come from
Significant wave height, wave period, wind and air temperature from ERA5 reanalysis, 2015 to 2024, sampled at open-water points in each sea and pooled by week of the year. 10 years behind every figure shown.
This is climate, not a forecast. It says what that water usually does in that week, which is the only thing knowable when you are booking months ahead.