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Port of Souda Bay (Greece) - Port Information (ID: 35523)
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SOUDA.htm Souda Bay Crete Crete Souda Bay Port Information Selections Port Map Geographic Location Harbor as Haven Currents and Tides Visibility Hazardous Conditions Spring Summer Autumn Winter Protective or Mitigating Measures Moving to a new Anchorage Sortie or Remain in Port Scheduling Harbor Protection Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Wind Chill Table Heat Index Table Return To Ports List Untitled Document Geographic Location Geographic Location Coordinates: 35deg/29min N 24deg/11min E Souda Bay is located on the north coast of Crete. The island of Crete is located in the northwest portion of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Crete forms the southern limit of the Cretan Sea. The topography of Crete is rugged and very mountainous, with one peak about 15 n mi south southeast of the port reaching 8,048 ft. A backbone of mountains exceeding 3,000 ft extends east-west the length of the island, with a few north-south valleys cutting deep passages through the mountains. A low range of mountains, with a mean height of about 1,000 ft lies along the north side of the Akrotiri Peninsula. The peninsula is connected to the main island of Crete by a low-lying strip of land which forms a valley west of Souda Bay. The main facilities of the port lie at the west end of Souda Bay. The pier area at Souda Bay is primarily a Hellenic Navy Base, but acommercial pier is designated. Only small ships can be accommodated,and alongside depths are limited to 33 ft. A fuel pier is located on the north side of Souda Bay approximately3 1/2 nautical miles east of the main portion of the port. The concretefuel quay is 450 feet long with an axis of 100/280deg. Three anchorages exist at/near Souda Bay. A small-ship anchorage(mooring buoy array), is located at the west end of Souda Bay about 0.3to 0.8 n mi northeast of the Naval Base. A second anchorage, referred toas the inner bay anchorage is located in Souda Bay approximately 1.9 n mi east of the Naval Base in depths of 390-490 ft. This anchorage is used byaircraft-carrier sized vessels for liberty visits. The inner bayanchorage bottom is rock and gravel with only fair holding qualities. Anchor dragging is possible; ships may have to use their engines to maintain position in the anchorage. The fleet landing at the Naval Baseis used by small boats from ships using the inner bay anchorage. A third anchorage, referred to as the outer anchorage is situated outside Souda Bay, 6 to 7 n mi east of the main port area. The depth is about 215 ft. This anchorage is used primarily for limited personnel and supplytransfer from the Naval Base. The bottom is flat with rock and gravel.Holding is only fair; anchor dragging may be experienced in strong winds.The fleet landing at the fuel pier is used by small boats from ships atthis anchorage. Harbor as Haven Harbor as Haven The inner portion of Souda Bay provides excellent protection from opensea wave motion, but offers little protection from strong westerlywinds. The primary wind problem in the port is caused by west to west-northwesterly winds which become super-gradient after funnelling throughthe valley west of the port. The wind can cause problems with berthingoperations. The outer anchorage is exposed to strong southeasterly winds, but ashort move to a nearby area closer to the shore provides limitedprotection. During summer strong Etesian wind events produces 7-10 ftswell that reaches the outer anchorage but high winds are seldomexperienced. Movement toward the head of the bay will reduce exposureto both wind and waves. Currents and Tides Currents and Tides Tides are limited to 2 ft, with no unusual tide fluctuations.Currents are negligible. Visibility Visibility Visibility is generally good at Souda Bay. Fog is rare. Hazardous Conditions: Spring Hazardous Conditions: Spring The spring season is noted for periods of stormy winter-type weatherthat alternates with false starts of summer-type weather. The earlyportion of the season is much like winter, but as the season progressesthrough April, the weather moderates considerably. By the end of theseason, summer weather prevails. Cyclonic activity, is common through the first part of the season, but becomes less frequent and less intense as summer nears. North Africa becomes a primary cyclogenesis region as low activity increases during late winter and early spring. During spring the sea is relatively cool,and as the warm air in advance of a low pressure system moves northward, a substantial inversion is created between the surface and approximately 3,000 ft. Above the inversion the air is unstable. With light winds, low stratus forms, increasing in amount as it moves further north. When the winds are strong, vast amounts of dust are trapped beneath the inversion. The instability over the inversion creates high-based cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds which will produce small amounts of very muddy precipitation. During spring, the low-level inversion causes extreme anomalous radar and radio propagation below the inversion. Consequently, helicopters may be out of radio contact at a range of one or two miles. Etesian winds become common during the last portion of the season, and resultant westerly winds affect the port. Precipitation decreases sharply during spring, with an average of less than one inch of rain measured during an average month of May. Hazardous Conditions: Summer Hazardous Conditions: Summer The monsoonal effect of the summer season leads to the development of anintense heat trough over southern Asia that extends westward over Turkey. Higher pressure dominates over the relatively cooler surface of theMediterranean Sea, and settled, dry weather persists. Etesian winds,also called Meltemi, dominate the eastern Mediterranean during summer andare the most common winds of significant velocity during summer at SoudaBay. Defined as northerly winds prevailing during summer in the AegeanSea and the eastern Mediterranean, the Etesian winds that affect Creteare a southeastward extension of the northerly wind regime over the Aegean Sea. Northerly winds prevail along the Greek coast during thewinter also, but only those northerly winds occurring between May andNovember are considered Etesians. Etesians are at their maximum strengthduring July and August. The pressure gradients necessary to drive theEtesian winds result from a combination of: (1) The monsoonal effect during the summer leads to a low pressure trough over Turkey. Etesian winds flow from a high pressure ridge over the Balkans toward the trough. During a strong Etesian, the trough may extend relatively far to the west and beyond Rhodes. It may also form a closed low, resulting in almost calm winds at Rhodes. (2) Synoptic conditions leading to anti-cyclogenesis over the Balkans. (3) A jet-effect wind increase caused by channelling of the wind between islands and mountain valleys. These effects tend to render wind reports from certain locations unrepresentative. In the lee of Crete, katabatic flow off the mountains generates gusty winds similar to the Foehn of the Alps. The mountain valleys tend to channel the flow which increases the wind velocity. Strong or gale force winds are frequent along the southern coast of Crete during the Etesian season in areas where they are channelled. At Souda Bay, Etesian winds are from the northwest quadrant. Thenorthwest winds would likely reach the port area as west-northwesterlydue to the higher terrain north and south of the bay, and the valley tothe west. An occasional westerly gale may occur during the summer. The surface flow is generally divergent in an Etesian situation, andthe weather is generally thought to be dry with clear skies. However,this is mostly true only during July and August. During this peakEtesian period, scattered altocumulus appear a day before an Etesian,and the only other clouds are orographic types that may form on the leeside of islands in stronger Etesians. During the early and late monthsof the Etesian season, thunderstorms frequently occur both ahead of andbehind the front over the Balkans, often in northern Greece, andsometimes as far south as Athens. The thunderstorms frequently precedethe Etesian by one day and generally continue for an additional 24 hours. Local authorities stated that southeast winds, with dust, that have their origins over North Africa near Libya are also experienced during summer.Slight changes in direction of the southeast wind can cause large changes of wind near the bay entrance. If the wind is calm in the bay, butsoutheast outside of the bay, wind speed may suddenly increase if the direction changes slightly. Meteorologists need to be observant for sudden onset of southeast winds, with one reliable indicator being an east-west line of altostratus which is parallel to the coast west of CapeDhrupanon and Rethimnon. Land and sea breezes are prominent in summer when the Etesian winds are not very strong. The land breeze is a light westerly wind and blows in the early morning. The sea breeze blows up the bay in the afternoon untilnear sunset when it becomes calm. Summer temperatures at Souda Bay are quite warm. During July, the warmest month, the average temperature is 79degF, while the mean maximum temperature is 87degF and the mean minimum temperature is 69degF. The absolute maximum temperature recorded at NOCD Souda bay is 112degF. Precipitation amounts are at an annual minimum during summer, with only a trace being recorded during July, the driest month. Hazardous Conditions: Autumn Hazardous Conditions: Autumn Autumn is a transitional season at Souda Bay, lasting only for the month of October. It results in an abrupt change from summer weather to the unsettled weather of winter. By the end of the month, most of the low pressure systems that develop in winter are possible in the Mediterranean basin. Lows moving south of Crete are most likely to cause thunderstorm activity during the autumn months due to the sea surface temperature still being relatively warm. Precipitation amount and frequency start to increase as the winter season approaches. Hazardous Conditions: Winter Hazardous Conditions: Winter The winter season commences abruptly with the breakdown of the Azoreshigh over central Europe. The Eurasian land mass north of Crete is verycold in comparison with the sea surface temperatures of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In general, low pressure dominates the Mediterranean basin, and is blocked by the Siberian high to the northeast and the Bermuda/Azores high to the west. The polar jet stream is located generally over the southern Mediterranean Sea in winter and cyclonic activity, unsettled weather, and strong winds are common. The primary extratropical storm track in the Mediterranean becomes well established by late November. The track starts with cyclogenesis in the Gulf of Lion or Gulf of Genoa, and moves southeastward across southern Italy and Greece before recurving northeast into northern Turkey or the Black Sea. A secondary winter storm track, most prevalent from February through April, starts with lows developing south of the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, and moving eastward along the coast or into the Mediterranean basin. January through March is the stormiest period of the year at Souda Bay, with frequent gales and heavy rain not uncommon. Cyclonic activity affecting Crete and the eastern Mediterranean occurs from the systems discussed above as well as systems developing in the Cyprus area just south of the coast of Turkey. If cyclogenesis occurs and the trough of low pressure extends southward into North Africa, a Scirocco can be expected ahead of the cyclone. Heavy showers with poor visibility are likely along and behind the cold front. Gale force winds are most likely north of the low center within the cold surge, but can also occur west of the low. Southeasterly winds. Southeasterly winds commonly occur during the April to October period, but are more frequent during April/May and September/ October. Strong episodes occur 3 to 4 times per year and last 1 to 2 days. The winds can be caused by different synoptic situations: Lows moving south of Crete Lows moving north of Crete North African Lows. North African lows develop over the desert region south of the Atlas Mountains. The synoptic situation favoring developmentis the presence of an upper trough lying over Spain with its axis lying northeast-southwest, producing a deep south-westerly flow over northwestAfrica. The presence of a cold front is apparently immaterial for the development of a low, but when one is present, development usually occursbefore the front reaches the mountain range. The amount of precipitation and the speed of movement with these systems is related to the time of year in which they develop. During late winter and early spring, as the number of North African cyclones increases, North Africa becomes the primary cyclogenesis areafor the region. Some lows have been noted to move eastward out of NorthAfrica at 40 to 50 kt. When the low emerges over the Mediterranean, the 500 mb chart is a good guide to determining the likely direction of movement. The associated Scirocco conditions will spread progressively eastward along thenorth east African coast. Scirocco conditions vary by season, with the mostbothersome effects occurring during spring. Wintertime Scirocco conditionsinclude relatively warm temperatures and stable conditions (low stratus,fog, and drizzle with reduced visibility) in the lower levels of theatmosphere. Although more common in spring, anomalous radar and radiopropagation may occur due to a strong low-level inversion. Northerly winds. Winter northerlies may be established in the Aegean by the eastward passage of a surface low pressure system, with associated cold front, over central or southern Greece. During periods of low zonal index (late autumn through spring), lows frequently form and become stationary near Cyprus. These systems develop in the lee of the Taurus Mountains of Turkey between the Gulf of Antalyato Cyprus, and become most intense from November through April. Factors associated with cyclogenesis in the Gulf of Genoa are: The thermal contrast between land and water. Effect of northerly flow over the mountains of Turkey enhancing cyclogenetic activity along the southern slopes. Northern topographic features which block a cold front's southward movement. The weather to the west of these systems (i.e. near Crete) is characterized by strong-to-gale force squally winds and heavy showers. Winter temperatures at Souda Bay are not severe. During January, the coldest month, the average temperature at the weather office at NOCD Souda Bay (480 ft above MSL on the Akroturi Peninsula) is 51degF. The mean maximum temperature is 58degF, while the mean minimum temperature is 45degF. The absolute minimum temperature recorded at NOCD is 32degF. Precipitation amounts and frequency of occurrence are greatest during winter, with an average of 6.65 inches of rain falling during December, the wettest month of the year. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage When strong southeasterly winds make remaining in the outer anchorageinadvisable due to anchor dragging or other problems, moving south tonear Cape Dhrupanon may provide limited protection. The bottom in thecoastal waters near Cape Dhrupanon is very rocky--so much so thatfisherman do not use nets in the area. Vessels using the anchorage in the inner portion of Souda Bay mayexperience anchor dragging due to strong southeasterly winds, and may have to use their engines to maintain position. Northerly Winds/Waves. The outer anchorage is exposed to northerlywinds and waves. The closest relief from northerly conditions can befound in Souda Bay in the lee of Akroturi Peninsula. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port There is no sorti plan available for this port. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling There is no available scheduling for this port. Harbor Protection Harbor Protection Winds and Weather: Although protected from significant winds from mostdirections by the surrounding topography, westerly winds funnel betweenthe main island of Crete and the Akrotiri Peninsula and can causeberthing problems at the port. Westerly winds can occur at all times ofthe year with strengths up to 25 kt not uncommon and gale strengthpossible. In one case, pilots would not berth a U.S. Navy ship at thefuel pier because of the strong wind. Also, passenger ferries mustsometimes wait for winds to decrease before berthing. Strong westerly and southeasterly winds can cause vessels using the innerharbor anchorage to drag anchor. Ships may have to use their engines tomaintain position. Southeasterly and northerly winds can cause anchor dragging for ships using the outer anchorage. Limited protection from southeasterly windscan be obtained by moving south to near Cape Dhrupanon. The bottom inthe area closer to the shore is very rocky. Waves: Northerly winds generate waves which reach the outer anchorageduring the winter months. Although summer time Etesian (Meltemi) windsdo not reach the outer anchorage, they generate 7 to 10 ft northerlyswell over the Aegean Sea which propagates to the anchorage. The resultis a near calm condition with 7 to 10 ft swell. Southeasterly winds can raise swell to 13 ft at the outer anchorage, but the swell is limited to about 5 to 7 ft in the inner bay. If accompaniedby strong winds, anchor dragging may occur. Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Southeasterly winds - An indicator of southeasterly winds is an east-westline of altostratus clouds parallel to the coasts west of Cape Dhrupanonand the city of Rethimnon. This indicator is considered to be veryreliable and is highly regarded by local fishermen. Scirocco - A good indication of the start of a Scirocco in the easternMediterranean is the development of strong southerly winds at stationsalong the northeast coast of Libya. Northerly winds - When the gradient surface wind flow across the Aegeanis less than 10 kt from due north to slightly northeast, Souda Bay willexperience northwest winds. Local authorities state that during the winter, an indicator of a stormapproaching from the north is a cloud over 1,969 ft Mount Zourva Paupa,just south of Souda Bay. Southerly winds. If the gradient ahead of an eastbound disturbancecauses the winds to be from a due south direction, the mountains to thesouth will partially block them. In this case, while Iraklion will beexperiencing super-gradient winds due to channeling, Souda Bay will havelight southerly winds. However, as the winds shift slightly to thesouthwest, they will increase to gradient speeds, sometimes suddenly,and they may be quite gusty. The island of Milos, located about halfway between Souda Bay and Athens,is a fairly reliable indicator for conditions that will occur at SoudaBay associated with troughs and fronts moving down from the north. The most reliable wintertime thunderstorm forecasting aid for Souda Bayis the minus 20degC isotherm at the 500 mb level. Generally, expectthunderstorms to develop along a front or trough if this isotherm liessouth of Souda Bay. This aid is most reliable during the winter season.Thunderstorms during autumn can occur with a warmer 500 mb temperaturedue to the added instability provided by a relatively warmer sea surface. During an Etesian, gale force winds extend into the area just east of Crete and south of Rhodes. Northerly winds 20-25 kt in the Aegean Sea increase to 25-32 kt with higher gusts off the coast of eastern Crete. Etesian winds in the sea area east of Crete are 100% of the geostrophic speeds due to the channeling effect between Crete and the neighboring island of Carpathos. The direction of the flow is across the isobars at an angle of approximately 45deg toward lower pressure. Gale force winds are likely along the south coast of Crete during an Etesian. Orographic wave clouds along the mountains of Crete are an indication of strong winds to the south. North African Lows. Increasing southeasterly winds at Souda Bay are an indication that a North African cyclone is moving toward Crete. Strong surface ridging eastward across Morocco is an indication that a North African cyclone will move/develop over Tunisia, east of the AtlasMountains. If surface winds at Algiers shift from southwest to northwestin association with the ridging, cyclogenesis will occur east of the AtlasMountains. The strongest winds associated with a deepening North African Low, afterthe system moves out over the Mediterranean, occur in the northwestsector of the system rather than in the eastern sector. Cyclone Movement. Cyclones developing on the southern edge of a coldsurge over the Aegean Sea may move southward or even southwestward atfirst, but normally they later will move eastward to the Cyprus area. Frontal Activity - Cold fronts that move southward through the Aegean Seausually stall on reaching the latitude of Crete. On the north side of theisland, winds are northerly and weather poor with low clouds and drizzle.On the south side of the island, however, winds are southerly with clearskies and warm temperatures. The occurrence of the stationary frontalong the mountains of Crete can persist up to a week. Cold fronts approaching from the west at Souda Bay do not cause a significant wind change following their passage. Because of the localtopography, winds are 270deg-290deg before and after frontal passages. The local topography causes basic south to southwesterly flow at thegradient level to be verified as either southeasterly or west-northwesterly flow at station level. Haze - Salt haze is a serious problem for flight operations over theMediterranean. This haze has the following characteristics: It is most prevalent during the summer and early autumn. Its color is bluish white, as opposed to the brown of dust haze. Salt haze scatters and reflects light rays much more than does dusthaze. Salt haze sometimes extends to over 12,000 ft and has been reportedup to 20,000 ft. Although surface visibility in salt haze may be as high as 4-6 n mi,the slant visibility for a pilot making a landing approach may benear zero, especially if the approach is in the general direction ofthe sun. Salt haze is sometimes thicker aloft than at the surface. Salt haze is less of a problem after sunset since the poor visibilityis caused partially by scattering and reflection of sunlight. Salt haze is most likely to develop in a stagnant air mass when there isa lack of mixing. It is especially prevalent when there is a strong ridgepresent at the surface and aloft. Souda Bay is located on the north coast of Crete. The island of Crete is located in the northwest portion of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Port of Souda Bay (Greece) - Port Information