Editing Bay of Biscay (section)

==Geography==
[[Image:Acantilados Vizcaya.JPG|thumb|right|Basque coast along the Bay of Biscay]]
[[Image:Biarritz Phare et Grande Plage.jpg|thumb|right|[[Biarritz]] Beach ([[French Basque Country]])]]

Parts of the [[continental shelf]] extend far into the bay, resulting in fairly shallow waters in many areas and thus the rough seas for which the region is known. Heavy storms occur in the bay, especially during the winter months. The Bay of Biscay is home to some of the [[Atlantic Ocean]]'s fiercest [[weather]]; abnormally high waves occur there.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y0ErAAAAYAAJ&q=%22bay%20of%20biscay%22%20%22gulf%20stream%22&pg=PA7 |quote=The Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras, the Gulf of Alaska, the English Channel, and the Bay of Biscay are some of the other areas where storms and current combine to produce abnormally high, steep waves. |title=A Summary of Wave Data Needs and Availability: A Report |year=1979 |page=7 |access-date=2021-01-05 |archive-date=2023-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406052513/https://books.google.com/books?id=y0ErAAAAYAAJ&q=%22bay%20of%20biscay%22%20%22gulf%20stream%22&pg=PA7 |url-status=live }}</ref> Up until recent years it was a regular occurrence for merchant vessels to founder in Biscay storms.

===Extent===
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] defines the limits of the Bay of Biscay as "a line joining [[Cape Ortegal Lighthouse|Cap Ortegal]] ({{Coord|43|46|N|7|52|W|display=inline}}) to [[Point Penmarc'h|Penmarch Point]] ({{Coord|47|48|N|4|22|W|display=inline}})".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition + corrections |year=1971 |publisher=International Hydrographic Organization |access-date=28 December 2020 |page=42 [corrections to page 13] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008191433/http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>

The southernmost portion is the [[Cantabrian Sea]].<ref name="miteco3">{{cite web |url=https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/costas/temas/proteccion-medio-marino/I_Marco%20General_Noratlantica_tcm30-130860.pdf |title=Estrategia marina. Demarcación marina Noratlántica. Parte I. Marco general evaluación inicial y buen estado ambiental. |access-date=22 January 2021 |author=VVAA |date=2012 |language=spanish |archive-date=27 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127165749/https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/costas/temas/proteccion-medio-marino/I_Marco%20General_Noratlantica_tcm30-130860.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Rivers===
The main rivers that empty into the Bay of Biscay are [[Loire]], [[Charente (river)|Charente]], [[Garonne]], [[Dordogne (river)|Dordogne]], [[Adour]], [[Nivelle (river)|Nivelle]], [[Bidasoa]], [[Oiartzun (river)|Oiartzun]], [[Urumea]], [[Oria (river)|Oria]], [[Urola]], [[Deba River|Deba]], [[Artibai]], [[Lea river (Biscay)|Lea]], [[Oka River (Spain)|Oka]], [[Nervión]], [[Agüera (river)|Agüera]], [[Asón]], [[Miera (river)|Miera]], [[Pas (river)|Pas]], [[Saja (river)|Saja]], [[Nansa]], [[Deva (river)|Deva]], [[Sella River|Sella]], [[Nalón (river)|Nalón]], [[Navia river|Navia]], [[Esva River|Esva]], [[Eo (river)|Eo]], [[Landro (Galicia)|Landro]] and [[Sor Mañón|Sor]].

===Climate===
In late spring and early summer, a large fog triangle fills the southwestern half of the bay, covering just a few kilometres inland.

As winter begins, weather becomes severe. Depressions enter from the west very frequently, and either they bounce north to the [[British Isles]] or they enter the [[Ebro Valley]], dry out, and are finally reborn in the form of powerful thunderstorms as they reach the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. These depressions cause severe weather at sea and bring light but very constant rain to its shores (known as ''[[drizzle|orballo]]'', ''sirimiri'', ''morrina'', ''orbayu'', ''orpin'' or ''calabobos''). Sometimes powerful windstorms form if the pressure falls rapidly ([[galerna]]), traveling along the [[Gulf Stream]] at great speed, resembling a hurricane, and finally crashing in this bay with their maximum power, such as the [[Klaus (storm)|Klaus storm]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.marineinsight.com/life-at-sea/why-the-bay-of-biscay-is-dangerous-for-ships/ |title=Why the Bay of Biscay is Dangerous for Ships? |date=2011-10-21 |website=Marine Insight |language=en-US |access-date=2019-05-07 |archive-date=2019-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507171109/https://www.marineinsight.com/life-at-sea/why-the-bay-of-biscay-is-dangerous-for-ships/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Gulf Stream]] enters the bay following the continental shelf's border anti-clockwise (the [[Rennell Current]]), keeping temperatures moderate all year long.

===Main cities===

The main cities on the shores (or close to) of the Bay of Biscay are [[Bordeaux]], [[Bayonne]], [[Biarritz]], [[Nantes]], [[La Rochelle]], [[Donostia-San Sebastián]], [[Bilbao]], [[Santander, Cantabria|Santander]], [[Gijón]] and [[Avilés]].