Get the forecast files

•A : Forecast model - SearchWell offers to download forecast files from two different sources/models (also see Forecast Info).  The insert shows the options :

oEUR - The main European source downloading 

▪Wind from ECMWF

▪Current from CMEMS (Copernicus)

oUSA - the main USA source downloading

▪Wind from GFS

▪Current from HYCOM

The downloaded forecast file will have the EUR or USA in the file name to indicate where the information comes from

•B : Date the forecast starts 

The default date is today's date, but that can be changed to a date in the past.  The site keeps historical forecast details for up to 10 days.

To change the date click on the small down arrow at the right side of the box and a calendar will be displayed on the screen.  Click on the required start date.

If the number of hours will take the required forecast past midnight SearchWell will automatically change the date appropriately.

•C : Time the forecast starts - this shows in hours (we DO NOT give minutes).  It defaults to the current hour but this can be changed.  It important that we use the 24 hour clock.

•D : Number of Hours - this is the number of hours that should be downloaded.  In the above example the forecast will start at 03:00 and will download for 4 hours so it will end with the 06:00 download.

•E : NORTH most Latitude - this defines the most northerly area of the block that is being downloaded

•R : SOUTH most Latitude - this defines the most southerly area in the block that is being downloaded

•G : WEST most Longitude - this defines the most westerly area in the block that is being downloaded

•H : EAST most Longitude - this defines the most easterly are in the block that is being downloaded

               This is the area that was downloaded by the example above

•I : SAVE button - when you click on the SAVE button the input information will be checked and if it is valid SearchWell will download the forecast files

•J : CLEAR button - when you click on the CLEAR button all the information on the form will be cleared

•K : Our duck - we have included an animated duck that waddles - but he cannot waddle while the download is happening.  We have done this as sometimes it takes quite a while to download the information and it makes it easy to glace at the screen to see the progress ..... if the duck is not moving then the download is still in progress

After you have clicked on the SAVE button and the forecasts have been downloaded the following messages will appear on the form - 

•A : If the USA forecasts are being downloaded, the wind files download hour by hour and are then combined.  A message will appear for each hour as it is downloading until all of the hours are complete.  But if the EUR forecasts are being downloaded a progress bar is displayed (as above)

•B : The current forecast is downloaded as one file - but sometimes the server is busy and the download is slow.  If the forecast is the EUR one a progress bar is displayed.

•C : This message shows that the download of both wind and current forecasts is complete and guide you as to where it is saved

The folder that the information is stored in - 

•A : on the main hard disk (normally the C: drive) there will be a folder called "SearchWell Output Files" - all the files stored by SearchWell will be found in this folder

       It is important to note that the structure of the folder name is 

oThe date the files were created

oWhat kind of file is being stored in it

•B : CONDITION folder - forecast condition information is being saved in those folder that have the word "Condition" in the folder name 

•C : SEARCH OUTPUT Files - Any output file related to searches - GPX files and KML files are stored in folders that have the words "Search Output" in them

The files being stored in the Condition Forecasts folder

•A : this is the name of the folder that has been opened -

oIt was created on 2024-10-05

oIt contains Forecast condition information

•B : Files with the words "Current Forecast" contain information related to the current

•C : Files with the words "Wind Forecast" contain information related to the wind

oTime - the time at the start of the file name is the time the download was requested - you will notice in the example above that the last 3 files in the list contain forecasts for the 4 October 2024

oDate - the date is the date the download was requested for

othe next 5 digits show the start hours and end hours of the forecast that were downloaded 

•D : Description file - this file contains a description of the forecast

oi -        This is the date and time the forecast was downloaded - so that you know how up-to-date the forecast is

oii -        This shows the actual date and start time of the forecast with the number of hours that were included

oiii -        This shows the area that was considered when downloading the forecast

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