Clear skies at dawn and a hint of wispy cumulus rising above the mainland shore are early signs of a Solent sea breeze day. But where many other venues will gradually wind themselves up into a steady onshore breeze as the land heats up and sucks in the air, the Solent is far more complicated.

Surrounded by land, flat to the north, high to the south and with plenty of twists and turns along a coastline of small rivers and wide bays, the Solent has topographical features that influence both the gradient wind and the development of a sea breeze.

Being able to identify early signs places you in the enviable position of being able to anticipate what happens next, handing you one of the biggest advantages the Solent can offer, inside knowledge on the weather.

Using expert meteorologist David Houghton’s original data, we summarise six of the most popular Solent scenarios.

Breakfast time with a north-westerly

Late morning following an early north-westerly

Late morning after a light south-westerly start

Midday to early afternoon with a north-easterly

Late morning after a light to moderate south-easterly start

A typical easterly situation with wind Force 4-6