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Port of Haifa (Israel) - Port Information (ID: 35530)
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HAIFA.htm Haifa Israel Israel Haifa 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: 32deg/48min N 35deg/0min E The Port of Haifa is located on the southern shore of Haifa Bay on the Israel coast. Harbor as Haven Harbor as Haven Haifa harbor is defined and protected by two breakwaters. The main breakwater on the north is 9,326 ft long and the lee side breakwater on the east extends some 2525 ft offshore. The main breakwater extends approximately 2600 ft beyond the entrance. The entrance between the two breakwaters is 604 ft wide and is about 40 ft deep. Vessels with draft to34 ft can be accommodated in Haifa harbor. Kishon harbor is located about 5280 ft east of the entrance to the main harbor. Kishon harbor consists of an outer harbor basin about 1980 ft formed by two breakwaters and a main channel about 3449 ft long. The entrance to kishon harbor is 231 ft wide and the harbor can accommodate vessels with drafts to 27 ft. Vessels with drafts of 45 ft can be accommodated at the container and bulk terminal located between the two harbors. The anchorage area is seaward of the main breakwater. The bottom is composed of a relatively thin layer of fine sand (less than 2 ft) over soft clay. Holding quality is good. Note: in March 1985, a Navy vessel ran aground in Haifa harbor. This ship's captain cautions that a sandbar exists in the harbor and may shift over a period of time. Check latest charts, notice to mariners, and proceed with caution. Currents and Tides Currents and Tides Astronomical tidal variations are slight in the Haifa Bay area (1-3 ft) and tidal currents are negligible. However, wave induced currents of 3 to4 kt may be experienced at a distance of about 2/3 of the surf zone from the beach during storms. A general current due to the water mass circulation in the Mediterranean is encountered the year around. Its activity is observed mainly in the offshore region beyond contour line of 20 m depth. Its direction is anticlockwise and parallel to the coastline with a mean velocity of about 1/4 to 1/2 knot. Wave induced currents occur inside the breaker zone, flowing mainly parallel to the coastline but sometimes also narrow currents flowing offshore may occur (rip currents). The maximum theoretical value of the alongshore current may reach 3 to 4 knots during storms at a distance of about 2/3 of the surf zone measured from the shoreline. However, outside the surf zone the alongshore current diminishes rapidly to a few inches/second at about 15 m water depth. Visibility Visibility Annual distribution: Good visibility (> 6 km) - 90% of the time Intermediate visibility (1-5 km) - 9% of the time Bad visibility ( Diurnal distribution: 73% of the intermediate visibility conditions are at 00-03-06 GMT 92% of the bad visibility conditions are at 00-03-06 GMT Seasonal distribution: 70% of the extremely bad visibility conditions occur during the period April-June. Hazardous Conditions: Spring Hazardous Conditions: Spring The transition seasons are controlled by both the subtropical highs and by passing lows. Significant patterns during these seasons are the 'Red Sea trough' and the 'heat lows', both characterized by very hot and dry weather. A typical Red Sea trough is associated with a low over the southeast Mediterranean Sea area. The nearby African coasts create a region of encounter between very different bodies of air, warm and dry terrestrial air from the south (desert) and cold and wet air from the north. Hence the coastal African region will be cyclogenetic, mainly in the transition seasons (spring andautumn). In summer the presence of the subtropical low will diminish any activity in that region, while in winter the desert is not hot enough andthe cyclo-generation capability is weak. The Mediterranean coast of Israel can be under the influence of monsoons coming from either northeast or southeast. In both cases, the pressuresystems generated improve the weather conditions in this region. Thesesystems are the Indian Monsoon in summer, the Siberian High in winter andthe Sudan-Ethiopian Low active during all seasons, but mainly in the transition seasons, especially autumn. Hazardous Conditions: Summer Hazardous Conditions: Summer The Mediterranean coast of Israel is characterized by the so called 'Mediterranean Sea Climate'. This climate is induced by the geographic location of the Israeli coast relative to the world pressure systems. Itscharacteristic properties are imposed by the subtropic highs. These highs, located between latitudes 25 and 30 degrees move with the sun, southward in winter and northward in summer. In summer these conditions lead to uniform weather with no precipitation. The nearby African coasts create a region of encounter between very different bodies of air, warm and dry terrestrial air from the south (desert) and cold and wet air from the north. Hence the coastal African region will be cyclogenetic, mainly in the transition seasons (spring andautumn). In summer the presence of the subtropical low will diminish any activity in that region, while in winter the desert is not hot enough andthe cyclo-generation capability is weak. The Mediterranean coast of Israel can be under the influence of monsoons coming from either northeast or southeast. In both cases, the systems generated improve the weather conditions in this region. These systems are the Indian Monsoon in summer, the Siberian High in winter and the Sudan-Ethiopian Low active during all seasons, but mainly in the transition seasons, especially autumn. Hazardous Conditions: Autumn Hazardous Conditions: Autumn The transition seasons are controlled by both the subtropical highs and by passing lows. Significant patterns during these seasons are the 'RedSea Trough' and the 'Heat Lows', both characterized by very hot and dry weather. A typical Red Sea trough is associated with a low over the southeast Mediterranean Sea area. The nearby African coasts create a region of encounter between very different bodies of air, warm and dry terrestrial air from the south (desert) and cold and wet air from the north. Hence the coastal African region will be cyclogenetic, mainly in the transition seasons (spring andautumn). In summer the presence of the subtropical low will diminish any activity in that region, while in winter the desert is not hot enough andthe cyclo-generation capability is weak. The Mediterranean coast of Israel can be under the influence of monsoons coming from either northeast or southeast. In both cases, the pressuresystems generated improve the weather conditions in this region. Thesesystems are the Indian Monsoon in summer, the Siberian High in winter andthe Sudan-Ethiopian Low active during all seasons, but mainly in the transition seasons, especially autumn. Hazardous Conditions: Winter Hazardous Conditions: Winter In winter the region is located between two climatic areas, namely the subtropic highs in the south and the 'conditioned weather' in the north. The conditioned weather area is characterized by moving lows (storms) which, when they succeed to penetrate into the Mediterranean, precipitation and bad weather conditions occur. Winter is characterized by changing weather, hence it is difficult to describe a representative condition. Nevertheless, certain situations lead to well defined and characteristic weather. The most significant is the Mediterranean Sea Low which originates from the strong Icelandic Low, present the year around. The latter originates from the encounter between very cold polar air and the warm air in the area between England and Iceland due to the Gulfstream. This encounter leads to the creation of a strong source of cyclogenesis. The Mediterranean Sea Low migrates in a southeasterly direction. During its migration, the low weakens then it strengthens again near Italy. The nearby African coasts create a region of encounter between very different bodies of air, warm and dry terrestrial air from the south (desert) and cold and wet air from the north. Hence the coastal African region will be cyclogenetic, mainly in the transition seasons (spring andautumn). In summer the presence of the subtropical low will diminish any activity in that region, while in winter the desert is not hot enough andthe cyclo-generation capability is weak. The Mediterranean coast of Israel can be under the influence of monsoons coming from either northeast or southeast. In both cases, the systemsgenerated improve the weather conditions in this region. These systems are the Indian Monsoon in summer, the Siberian High in winter and the Sudan-Ethiopian Low active during all seasons, but mainly in the transition seasons, especially autumn. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage When Bora conditions or migratory lows of force 8 to 9 from a westerly direction are forecast and high seas are expectedin Haifa Bay, moving to the southern bay provides maximum protectionof any regional location. Vessels that can be accommodated should berth in Haifa port and use storm moorings. Etesian conditions of force 5 to 6 from a westerly direction will create long period swell (9-12 sec) with heights of 8 to 12 ft. Moving as far east as possible in the anchorage area will minimize heavy swell action. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port There is no sortie information available for this port. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling If either of the conditions described in the 'Move' section (above)are expected, arrival/departure should occur early or after the conditions have subsided. Harbor Protection Harbor Protection Haifa is the most protected harbor on the Israeli coast. The southern portion of Haifa Bay provides natural protection from waves from the northeast clockwise through west. Winds and Weather: Etesian Winds: The Etesian is a northerly to westerly wind that occurs during the summer over the Aegean Sea and eastern Mediterranean Sea. In the extreme eastern Mediterranean, off Israel, the Etesians are westerly and normally less than gale force. The weather associated with the Etesian is generally dry with good visibilities. Because of the long overwater trajectory of the air, cumulus clouds are likely. The Etesian results from a combination of the following: The monsoonal effect during the summer that leads to a low pressure trough over Turkey with higher pressure over the adjacent water surface. Synoptic disturbances that lead to anticylogenesis over the Balkans. Cold air in the anticyclone following frontalpassages appears to be the main cause of gale force winds. A jet-effect wind increase caused by channeling of the air between islands. Mountains oriented perpendicular to the Etesian which, under strong inversion conditions, block the flow and givecalm seas in the lee. Strong winds are usually found only offshore from coastal valleys. Bora: The Bora is a cold, fall wind most common along the Yugoslavian coast. However, it can also occur over the Aegean Sea occasionally extending into the eastern Mediterranean. This Bora extension fromthe Aegean Sea is associated with the large scale patterns over the eastern Atlantic and Europe which cause strong cold outbreaks over the Aegean Sea and Greece. The direction of the Bora is usually northerly near Crete, becoming westerly off the coast of Israel. Conditionswith the Bora in the eastern Mediterranean depend on the length of the overwater trajectory of the cold, initially dry air. Since the cold air has a long overwater track and picks up moisture from the relativelywarm water surface, convective cloudiness and some showers can be expected. Sirocco: The Sirocco is a southeasterly to southwesterly wind over the Mediterranean originating over north Africa. Because the air's source regions are desert, the Sirocco is extremely dry at its source, warm in winter, and hot in spring and summer. In the eastern Mediterranean, the Sirocco originates to the south over the deserts of Libya and Egypt and over the Arabian Desert to the southeast. When the source is the Arabian Desert, the direction of the Sirocco is often southeasterly along the Israeli coast. Weather associated with the Sirocco in the coastal areas of Israel is usually dry with visibilities occasionally poor in blowing sand and/or dust. The dust cloud layer tends to be shallow and because of the strong surface inversion produced over the water, especially in spring,anomalous radar and radio propagation are likely. Wind climate: Mariners should be aware that all wind records used here are from land stations and that a ratio of 1.6:1 has been found to be a representative ratio for estimating maximum winds over open water areas from adjacent land reports. Light winds (less than 10 knots) - 61% of the time Fresh winds (11 to 21 knots) - 37% of the time Strong winds (22 to 33 knots) - 1.5% of the time Winds stronger than 33 knots - 1% of the time Direction Distribution 57% of the fresh winds are from the W-NW-N directions 35% of the fresh winds are from the E-SE-S directions 46% of the strong winds are from the W direction 35% of the strong winds are from the E-SE-S directions Diurnal Distribution 61% of the strong winds are during the day, 06-09-12-15 GMT 39% of the strong winds are during the night, 18-21-00-03 GMT Seasonal Distribution 97% of the strong winds are between Nov and Mar 72% of the strong winds are between Dec and Feb Waves greater than 13 ft occur during extreme winter storms. The farther west a vessel is in the anchorage area the more subject it is to heavy swell. Increased scope should be used under heavy swell conditions. Breaking waves occur with heavy swell conditions in those areas with depths less than 18 ft. The following table provides the shallow water wave conditions at Point A when deep water swell enters the harbor. An example follows the tables. Table 1 Shallow water wave directions and relative height conditions versus deep water period and direction. FORMAT: Shallow Water Direction/Height Ratio HAIFA BAY POINT A : Deep Water Period (sec) 6 8 10 12 14 16 Direction (deg) 270 285 0.8 300 0.8 300 0.5 310 0.5 315 0.5 305 0.6 300 305 0.8 310 0.8 315 0.6 315 0.6 320 0.6 320 0.6 330 330 0.9 330 0.6 325 0.5 325 0.5 330 0.3 335 0.6 360 355 0.7 345 0.4 345 0.4 335 0.6 340 0.5 340 0.4 Example: Example: For a deep water wave condition of: 12 feet, 10 seconds, from 270deg The approximate shallow water wave conditions are: Point A: 6 feet, 10 seconds, from 300deg Table 2 The following table presents shallow water climatology as determined from deep water wave propagation. Percent occurrence, average duration or persistence, and wave period of maximum energy for wave height ranges of greater than 3.3 (1m) feet and greater than 6.6 (2m) feet by climatological season. HAIFA BAY POINT A: >3.3 Feet (1m) WINTER NOV-FEB SPRING MAR-MAY SUMMER JUN-SEP AUTUMN OCT Occurrence (%) Average Duration (hrs) Period Max Energy (sec) 22 15 9 18 20 9 23 27 9 7 17 9 >6.6 feet (2m) NOV-FEB MAR-MAY JUN-SEP OCT Occurrence (%) Average Duration (hrs) Period Max Energy (sec) 2 11 12 1 8 12 < 1 12 12 0 NA NA Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Winds and Weather: Etesian Winds: The etesian is a northerly to westerly wind that occurs during thesummer over the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Sea. In theextreme eastern Mediterranean, off Israel, the Etesians are westerlyand normally less than gale force. The weather associated with theEtesian is generally dry with good visibilities. Because of the longoverwater trajectory of the air, cumulus clouds are likely. The Etesianresults from a combination of the following: The monsoonal effect during the summer that leads to a low pressuretrough over Turkey with higher pressure over the adjacent watersurface. Synoptic disturbances that lead to anticylogenesis over the Balkans.Cold air in the anticyclone following frontal passages appears to bethe main cause of gale force Etesians. A jet-effect wind increase caused by channeling of the air betweenislands. Mountains oriented perpendicular to the Etesian which, under stronginversion conditions, block the flow and give calm seas in the lee.Strong winds are usually found only offshore from coastal valleys. Bora: The Bora is a cold, fall wind most common along the Yugoslaviancoast. However, it can also occur over the Aegean Sea occasionally extendinginto the eastern Mediterranean. This extension of the Bora from the AegeanSea is associated with the large scale patterns over the eastern Atlanticand Europe which cause strong cold outbreaks over the Aegean Sea and Greece.The direction of the Bora is usually northerly near Crete, becoming westerlyoff the coast of Israel. Weather associated with the Bora in the easternMediterranean depends on the length of the overwater trajectory of the cold,initially dry air. Since the cold air has a long overwater track and picksup moisture from the relatively warm water surface, convective cloudinessand some showers can be expected. Sirocco: The Sirocco is a southeasterly to southwesterly wind over the Mediterranean originating over North Africa. Because the air's source regions are desert, the Sirocco is extremely dry at its source, warm in winter, and hot in spring and summer. In the eastern Mediterranean, theSirocco originates to the south over the deserts of Libya and Egypt andover the Arabian Desert to the southeast. When the source is the Arabian Desert, the direction of the Sirocco is often southeasterly along the Israeli coast. Weather associated with the Sirocco in the coastal areas of Israel is usually dry with visibilities occasionally poor in blowing sand and/or dust. The dust cloud layer tends to be shallow and because of the strong surface inversion produced over the water (especially in spring), anomalousradar and radio propagation are likely. Wind Climate: Mariners should be aware that all wind records used study are from land stations and that a ratio of 1.6:1 has been found to be a representative ratio for estimating maximum winds over open water areas from adjacent land reports. light winds (less than 10 knots) - 81% of the time fresh winds (11 to 21 knots) - 18% of the time strong winds (22 to 33 knots) - 1% of the time winds stronger than 33 knots - Direction distribution: 77% of the fresh winds are from the w-nw-n directions 77% of the strong winds are from the sw-w direction Diurnal distribution: 81% of the strong winds are during the day, 06-09-12-15 GMT 19% of the strong winds are during the night, 18-21-00-03 GMT Seasonal distribution: 94% of the strong winds are between Nov and Mar 60% of the strong winds are between Dec and Feb Waves greater than 13 ft occur during extreme winter storms. The farther west a vessel is in the anchorage area the more subject it is to heavy swell. Increased scope should be used under heavy swell conditions. Breaking waves occur with heavy swell conditions in those areas with depths less than 18 ft. HAIFA.htm The Port of Haifa is located on the southern shore of Haifa Bay on the Israel coast. Port of Haifa (Israel) - Port Information