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Port of Catania (Italy) - Port Information (ID: 35534)
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CATANIA.htm Catania Italy Italy Catania 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 Location: 225 nm south-southeast of Naples on the east coast of the Italian island of Sicily. Port of Catania: Northwest corner of the Gulf of Catania about 55 nm south southwestof the Strait of Messina. Mt Etna, an active volcano, is about 16 nm to the northnorthwestof the port. Inner Harbor Port of Catania Large and capable of accommodating ships with maximum draftsof about 30 ft (9.1 m). Facilities are situated within an artificial harbor formed by along breakwater, Molo di Levante and a mole, Molo di Mezzogiorno. Mt Etna dominates the landscape. Other prominent landmarks include: Many domes on buildings in the city of Catania. A red brick chimney over 300 feet high that is surmounted by four red aircraft warning lights and located about 400 ydsnorth-northwest of the origin of Molo di Mezzogiorno. Several grain elevator towers are east of the chimney. Harbor as Haven Harbor as Haven Well protected from the effects of sea/swell action from the southwestthrough northeast. Adversely affected as a protective harbor when strong winds and resultantwaves are from east through south. Although protected by a long breakwater, the entrance to the harbor allows refracted swell from east through south to enter the inner harbor. If a southeasterly wind and southeasterly swell coincide, choppyconditions result in the harbor. Persistent easterly flow of 20-25 kt or more will cause 6-7 ft (2 m) andoccasional 12 ft (3.5 m) swell to break over the top of Molo di Levante. Refraction allows easterly swell to enter the inner harbor, with the most pronounced effects occurring on the western side. Easterly winds 25-35 kt will produce a long period swell 1.5 ft Large vessels (CV's, oilers, etc) anchor outside the breakwater and areexposed to the brunt of all weather emanating from the eastern semicircle. The CV anchorage is located 068 deg 1,840 m from a green lightat the south end of Molo di Levante. Good holding qualitiesexist at the anchorage in a mud bottom. The inner harbor has a mud and sand bottom. The port of Catania is subject to ash falls produced by Mt Etna. Currents and Tides Currents and Tides Currents: Generally weak and wind driven. Strong currents have been reported at the harbor entrance. North-northeast current of about 2 kt will occur at the anchoragewhen a southward wind passes through the Strait of Messina. Tides: Tidal range is slight, about 1 ft. Storm surge caused by strong easterly winds can flood inland. Visibility Visibility Fog is not a problem. Haze and Smoke Can reduce summertime visibility to about 1 mi, with poorestvisibility normally occurring 0600-0800 LST. Most restricted visibility, as low as 1/2 mi, occurs during summer under southerly flow conditions when air enters Sicily across the southeast tip and becomes west-southwesterly at Catania. This gives: Poor visibility Hot temperatures Appearance of a "yellow-white" sky. Visibility is sometimes reduced to 1/2 mi in precipitation associatedwith thunderstorms that form over Mt Etna during late winter/early spring. Hazardous Conditions: Spring Hazardous Conditions: Spring Early Spring: Environmental conditions similar to winter conditions. Winds and seas generated by Gregale and Sirocco events continue withdecreasing frequency as the season progresses; rare by the end of May. Thunderstorms: Form over Mt Etna early in the season and brings: Reduced visibility in rain. Gusty winds (to 50 kt). Possible hail and waterspouts. Frequency diminishes throughout the season. Sea Breezes: Begin to appear on warm days by late spring. Start at 1030 LST. Reach maximum strength of 15 kt by 1500 LST. Diminishes by 1800 LST. Strong sea breezes will cause boating to be cancelled at the anchoragesince 27 kt is the cutoff for small boats to enter the inner harbor. Visibility: Generally good at the start of the season. Early morning haze and smog may reduce visibility to near 1 mi. Hazardous Conditions: Summer Hazardous Conditions: Summer Has the least hazardous weather of the year. The extratropical stormtrack has moved northward so strong migrating extratropical stormspose little or no threat. Afternoon Sea Breezes: Daily occurrences. Commence 1030 LST. Wind increases to a maximum of 15 kt by 1500 LST. Diminishes by 1800 LST. If the wind reaches 27 kt, boating is cancelled. A high pressure cell aloft can oppose the return flow of the seabreeze mechanism. Sea breeze usually remains dominate but will be weakerthan normal. Southerly flow over southeast Sicily reaches Catania through mountainpasses, heats adiabatically as it descends mountain slopes, and arrivesat Catania as west-southwesterly 20-25 kt. Wind creates a turbulence problem for helicopter operations. Cancels the sea breeze and brings hot temperatures. Dust carried from North Africa turns the sky "yellow-white" andvisibility may be reduced to 0.5 mi under cloudless skies. Flies and other insect abound. Haze and Smog: Advected over port by early morning land breeze. Reduces visibility to about 1 mi (0600-0800 LST worst). Land breeze creates no appreciable wind or sea effect at Catania. Etesian: Monsoonal flow associated with a deep low pressure area that forms over northwest India. It leads to the prevailingnortherly winds over the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Once established, Etesian can generate 8-12 ft (2.5-3.5 m) westerlymoving swell that reaches the east coast of Sicily in 4-8 hours. Maximum occurrence in August. Anchorage outside of the breakwater experiences most swell. Hazardous Conditions: Autumn Hazardous Conditions: Autumn Daily occurrence of the sea breeze is interrupted as temperaturesbegin to moderate. Extratropical systems begin to transit Europe as the storm track moves southward in advance of the winter season. Threat of strong winds from the eastern quadrant because of Gregale orSirocco increases during autumn (see winter for details). Heavy rain with low cloud ceilings can occur when a low pressuresystem passes south of Sicily. Thunderstorms: Commonly associated with the low passages in late autumn when SST is warm but air temperatures may be cool. May be constant for 24 hours. May occur with passing frontal systems. Hazardous Conditions: Winter Hazardous Conditions: Winter Persistent 20-25 kt winds from east through south can cause significantproblems: Eastern side of inner harbor is protected by a long breakwaterbut configuration of harbor entrance allows refracted swell toenter. Southeasterly winds can produce considerable swell in the innerharbor which is especially bad on the west side. Swell is bothersome but not dangerous. Accompanying winds can be dangerous. Prolonged easterly flow will cause swell of 6-12 ft (2-3.5 m) or greaterto break over the top of Molo di Levante, a frequent moorage for ships. Easterly swell can also refract through the harbor entrancecausing 1.5 ft (0.5 m) long-period swell in the inner harbor. Swell generated by an easterly wind will normally diminish 24 hours after the wind stops. Large vessels (CV's, oilers, etc) remain outside the inner harbor. Thesmall boat ride into the inner harbor from the anchorage takes about30 minutes. Gregale: Result when high pressure lies or is building over central Europe or the Balkans and a low pressure system is eitherover the Ionian Sea (North Africa near Libya/Tunisia), ortransiting eastward south of Sicily. Causes winds from the southeast quadrant, which is the most adversedirection in Catania. Most dangerous for ships at anchor. Transiting low may produce Gregale winds for one or two days. Winds from a low over the Ionian Sea or Libya/Tunisia may lastup to 5 days. When from the northeast, wind may be reinforced when passing through the Strait of Messina. Result: High waves that break over Molo di Levante. Sirocco: Caused by a well developed low pressure system over North Africa. Produces strong east to southeasterly winds and seas at Catania. Brings hot, humid weather. Duration: Usually no longer than 2 weeks. Mt Etna effects: Blocks winds from northwest clockwise through north. Sometimes brings northeasterly winds to Catania in an otherwisesoutheasterly situation. Northeasterly winds dampen southeasterly swell. Calm winds at Catania harbor when northeasterly wind passes throughthe Strait of Messina. Steep gradient resulting in general northwest or north flow willproduce an offshore wind at Catania, but poses no problem forharbor operations. Can bring ash falls from Mt Etna into port. No strong wind effects for winds from southwest clockwise through northwest. Heavy rain with low cloud ceilings can occur at Catania when a lowpressure system passes south of Sicily. Thunderstorms: Commonly associated with low center passages in early winter whenthe SST is still warm but air temperatures may be cool; may beconstant for 24 hours. May occur with passing frontal systems. May form on lee side of Mt Etna and then carried by steering flowfrom south over Catania. Most violent in late winter/early spring. May reduce visibility to 0.5 mi in rain. May form because of lifting caused by heat release from the volcano. Anchorage positions may experience hail and wind with gusts to 50 kt. Waterspouts are an associated phenomena. Snow is uncommon. Fog is not a problem. Wintertime visibilities are generally good. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage When heavy east through south wind or swell is encountered or forecast(swell often reaching heights of 20 ft (6 m) or more in winter), localmariners say it is best for ships to leave the anchorages. More protected anchorages are along the north coast of Sicily nearMessina, at Palermo, or in the Gulf of Castellammare. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port If strong winds or high seas from east through south are forecast,local harbor personnel advise that small vessels moored in the inner harbor should stay, but double their moorings. Ships with drafts of 30 ft or less can enter the inner harbor forprotection if the winds do not exceed 27 kt. Small craft should be well secured. If sortie is chosen, moving northward through the Strait of Messinato more protected waters along the north coast of Sicily or west coast of the Italian peninsula should be considered. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling During summer, scheduling arrivals/departures and small boat operationsduring mid to late morning avoids the worst of the sea breeze and poorvisibility. Early evening arrivals/departures also encounter light wind and increased visibility. Harbor Protection Harbor Protection The port offers little protection from wind, but the inner harboroffers marginal protection from significant wave action. Wind and Weather: Port exposed to full force of wind from northeast clockwisethrough south. Terrain lying south through west offers limited protection. Mt Etna: Blocks winds from northwest through north. Blocking effect frequently deflects a southeasterly wind andturns it northeasterly at Catania. Strong northwest or northly flow over the region will produce offshoreflow at Catania and poses no problem for harbor operations. No strong wind effects at Catania for winds southwest clockwisethrough northwest. Waves: The harbor is protected from significant open-ocean wave action fromsouth-southwest through northeast by the shape and orientation of Sicily and the Italian peninsula. Fetch length: Near zero from south-southwest through north. Limited to 45 nm to the northeast. Portions of the harbor are vulnerable to waves from east-northeastclockwise through south. Inner harbor is better protected because of the long breakwateroriented north-south along its eastern side and a mole protectingpart of its southern side. The harbor entrance is open to the south, making it possible forsoutheasterly sea/swell to refract into the inner harbor. Easterly swell can also refract into the harbor entrance withsomewhat reduced effect in the harbor. Easterly winds of 25-35 kt will produce a 1.5 ft (0.5 m) long-period swell in the inner harbor. Swell is not dangerous, the wind is. Persistent easterly flow of 20-25 kt or more will cause 6-7 ft (2 m)and occasional 12 ft (3.5 m) swell to break over the top of Molo diLevante, the eastern protective breakwater where vessels arefrequently moored. Wave Data Uses and Considerations: Local wind waves build up (subside) rapidly with increasing(decreasing) winds. Period and length of wind waves are generally short relative to theperiod and length of waves propagated into the harbor, thus producing choppy conditions. When wind waves are superimposed on deep water waves propagatedinto shallow water, the waves can become quite complex and confused. Under these conditions tending or joint operations can behazardous even if the indiviudal wave train heights are notsignificantly high. The following table provides the shallow water wave conditions at the two designated port map points 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 CATANIA POINT 1 (Inner Harbor Entrance) : Deep Water Period (sec) 6 8 10 12 14 16 Direction (deg) 030 060 0.4 070 0.4 080 0.4 090 0.4 105 0.3 100 0.4 060 070 0.5 075 0.5 085 0.6 090 0.6 110 0.5 115 0.5 090 090 0.8 100 0.9 110 0.9 110 0.8 120 0.7 125 0.7 120 130 0.5 130 0.5 120 0.5 130 0.7 110 0.5 120 0.4 150 155 0.5 155 0.5 120 0.5 110 0.6 115 0.3 110 0.4 180 140 0.2 145 0.3 140 0.3 135 0.3 135 0.4 140 0.5 CATANIA POINT 2 (Carrier Anchorage) : Deep Water Period (sec) 6 8 10 12 14 16 Direction (deg) 030 035 0.2 030 0.4 035 0.4 040 0.3 045 0.5 050 0.6 060 060 0.9 060 0.9 060 0.8 065 0.8 065 0.8 065 0.8 090 090 0.9 090 0.9 090 0.8 090 0.8 090 0.8 085 0.8 120 120 0.9 120 0.9 120 0.8 115 0.8 110 0.8 110 0.8 150 150 0.8 150 0.8 145 0.7 135 0.6 130 0.6 130 0.6 180 175 0.5 160 0.3 155 0.3 150 0.5 145 0.4 145 0.5 Example: For a deep water wave condition of: 8 feet, 12 seconds, from 150deg The approximate shallow water wave conditions are: Point 1 : 5 feet, 12 seconds, from 110deg Point 2 : 5 feet, 12 seconds, from 135deg 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 feet and greater than 6.6 feet by climatological season. CATANIA POINT 1: >3.3 Feet WINTER NOV-APR SPRING MAY SUMMER JUN-SEP AUTUMN OCT Occurrence (%) Average Duration (hrs) Period Max Energy (sec) 26 15 9 22 15 9 6 11 9 18 13 8 >6.6 feet NOV-APR MAY JUN-SEP OCT Occurrence (%) Average Duration (hrs) Period Max Energy (sec) 7 13 10 6 15 12 1 12 10 5 9 9 CATANIA POINT 2: >3.3 Feet WINTER NOV-APR SPRING MAY SUMMER JUN-SEP AUTUMN OCT Occurrence (%) Average Duration (hrs) Period Max Energy (sec) 25 12 10 23 18 10 6 9 9 14 13 8 >6.6 feet NOV-APR MAY JUN-SEP OCT Occurrence (%) Average Duration (hrs) Period Max Energy (sec) 10 14 12 7 11 12 1 13 11 4 10 10 Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Easterly Wind/Waves: One indicator of a potential Gregale event would be the forecast of: (1) A building high to the north, and (2) Low pressure center remaining or intensifying over theIonian Sea, or the North African region of Libya/ Tunisia, or transiting eastward south of Sicily. Slow moving situation may last up to 5 days. Winds caused by a transient low pressure system will normallylast about 1-2 days. Seas will persist for about 24 hours after the generating windsdiminish. Winds that are southeasterly over the open ocean frequently becomenortheast over Catania because of the blocking effect of Mt Etna. Etesian winds in the eastern Mediterranean or Aegean Sea can produce8-12 ft (2.5-3.5 m) westerly moving swell that will reach the eastcoast of Sicily in 4-8 hours. Maximum occurrence is in August. Strong wind and hot humid weather accompanying a Sirocco are oftenpreceded by cumuliform clouds forming and remaining over Mt Etnaduring southeasterly flow over eastern Sicily. Hot Weather/Poor Visibility When wind is southerly over the southeast tip of Sicily duringsummer, hot, unpleasant weather with poor visibility occurs at Catania. Often preceded by stratus buildup along the south coast of Sicily. CATANIA.htm Port of Catania (Italy) - Port Information