Shipping Forecast August 2017 was the 150th anniversary of the shipping forecast. The 31 sea areas covering the waters around the British Isles are as defined by the map shown here: The areas were already roughly as listed above by 1949. In 1955, meteorologists from countries with North Sea coastlines met and recommended that the UK's sea area 'Heligoland' be renamed 'German Bight' to reflect more general usage amongst the nations concerned. They also recommended the divisions of 'Dogger' (with the north-eastern portion to be named 'Fisher') and 'Forties' (with the northern half becoming 'Viking'), and the renaming of 'Iceland' as 'South-east
Climate of the British Isles is most common during the summer months. Each of the United Kingdom's 50 strongest hailstorms on record since 1650 have occurred between the months of May and September. The prevailing winds over the British Isles are from the south-west, and winds are strongest on coasts that face the Atlantic. Generally, the coast tends to be windier than inland areas; and the west tends to be windier than the east. Gales — which are defined as winds with speeds of — are strongly associated with the passage of deep depressions across the area. The Hebrides experience on average 35 days of