Pampero
03/02/10 23:35 Filed in: Uruguay
Up early this morning at just after 07:00. The Uruguayan tanker Ancap Noveno has just berthed on the commercial quay and the yachts are lying to a light NE breeze.
Around 08:50 the barometer had fallen to 995 and we noticed three long tubular clouds approaching from the west. These heralded the imminent arrival of a Pampero.
The yachts are lying to a light NNE breeze.
Cold dry air from the Argentine Pampas approaching from the south west meets warm moist air from the north resulting in these spectacular cloud formations and very strong winds.
As the first cloud approaches the wind begins to increase and back to the west.
This Pampero had three tubular clouds. As the first approached windspeed increased reaching 30kn as the cloud passed overhead. This was not great as Pamperos go. Winds of 50-60kn are not uncommon.
Puerto Sauce is a very secure little port, much better than Colonia, but some of these boats moored stern to the quay, were struggling in strong winds.
The second cloud approaching. The yachts are lying WNW in 25-30 knots of wind.
A sunny gap between the first and second clouds.
The second cloud overhead.
The yachts are now lying SW to a 30 knot wind.
These motor yachts need their engines to stay off the quay.
Once the third cloud passed overhead the air was noticeably colder and the wind had dropped away to below 20 knots.
Around 08:50 the barometer had fallen to 995 and we noticed three long tubular clouds approaching from the west. These heralded the imminent arrival of a Pampero.
The yachts are lying to a light NNE breeze.
Cold dry air from the Argentine Pampas approaching from the south west meets warm moist air from the north resulting in these spectacular cloud formations and very strong winds.
As the first cloud approaches the wind begins to increase and back to the west.
This Pampero had three tubular clouds. As the first approached windspeed increased reaching 30kn as the cloud passed overhead. This was not great as Pamperos go. Winds of 50-60kn are not uncommon.
Puerto Sauce is a very secure little port, much better than Colonia, but some of these boats moored stern to the quay, were struggling in strong winds.
The second cloud approaching. The yachts are lying WNW in 25-30 knots of wind.
A sunny gap between the first and second clouds.
The second cloud overhead.
The yachts are now lying SW to a 30 knot wind.
These motor yachts need their engines to stay off the quay.
Once the third cloud passed overhead the air was noticeably colder and the wind had dropped away to below 20 knots.