Bobgram

Bob McDavitt's ideas for sailing around the South Pacific. Disclaimer: Weather is a mix of pattern and chaos; these ideas are from the patterned world. Compiled 31 May 2026 And they're off... The Solo Trans Tasman is now underway, and tonight the fleet are taking on an active front: www.solo-tasman.co.nz/race-live-2026/ And tonight's satpic shows what the challenge looks like The LOW crossing the Tasman Sea is followed by several shower bands. GLOBAL HEAT Extreme heat waves across South Asia and Europe caused deaths, overwhelmed hospitals and shattered temperature records as scientists warn that dangerous heat is becoming increasingly common and more intense in a warming world. In India, dozens of people died from heat-related causes. At the same time, Europe experienced unusually early heat for May, with Britain recording its hottest May temperature ever at 94.6 degrees Fahrenheit/35C. TROPICS Tropical Cyclone Jangmi is aiming for the east coast of Japan. WEATHER ZONES Wind and rain accumulation this week from Windy.com Rain accumulation from windy.com shows a rather weak and unorganised SPCZ. The Rain accumulation shows a rather weak SPCZ north of Samoa, and an intense group of rain bands around a Low L1 centred south of the Australs, and affecting the Southern Cooks. Wind accumulation this week from Windy.com shows strong wind areas associated with L1 and FRONT1. LOWS and HIGHS Low L1 south of the Australs is expected to move off to the southeast HIGH H1 is expected to remain east of NZ and near 160 to 170W/ Rain is associated the FRONT1 which is crossing North Island on Monday. It also brings some intense falls as far as Minerva on Tuesday night. In the Tasman Se it is followed by several lines of thundery showers each with NW winds. This is the challenge facing the solo trans-Tasman racers this week. Low L2 has deepened SW of Perth over the weekend and is expected to remain an intense system reaching Tasmania by mid-week. Its associated FRONT is expected to cross NZ next weekend and then L2 is expected to deepen around Chathams with an upper cold pool and cut off low next week. Following L2 a southerly flow covers NZ and then HIGH H2 which is expected to travel east along 35 to 40S. This is the classic good pattern for sailing from NZ to the tropics. Hopefully this ends the recent "low zonal index" (google this for more info) weather pattern that has been affected the South Pacific in May GFS is toying with the idea of a low forming near Fiji around 10-11 June, but other models don't agree with that idea. Just keep an eye on that if travelling. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you would like more details about your voyage, check metbob.com Or Facebook at /www.facebook.com/metbobnz/ Weathergram with graphics is at metbob.wordpress.com (subscribe/unsubscribe at bottom). Weathergram archive (with translator) is at weathergram.blogspot.co.nz. Contact is bob@metbob.com or text 64277762212. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>