Thames

A Met Office Shipping Forecast sea area covering part of the southern North Sea off southeast England and the Low Countries.

Named after the Thames estuary, it lies south of Humber, west of German Bight and north of Dover within the published forecast-area grid.

The area extends far beyond the estuary. Its precise coordinate boundaries must be taken from the current Met Office map.

From the River Thames (“Tamesis,” “dark river”), Thames is relatively sheltered, with southwest winds of Force 3–5 and moderate seas, but vulnerable to severe storm surges. The 1928 Thames flood, following a storm surge, caused over 300 fatalities and reshaped London’s flood mitigation.