Coast and sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings

The general synopsis for UK

At 020000UTC, high 52 north 37 west 1034 expected 51 north 35 west 1032 by 030000UTC. New low expected 66 north 35 west 1015 by same time.

Issued at: .

For the period to .

High seas forecast and storm warnings map

Sole

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in far east.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Wind
Cyclonic becoming north or northeast, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Wind
Cyclonic becoming north or northeast, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind
North or northeast backing west or southwest later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

East Northern Section

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

West Northern Section

In north

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, fog patches developing in northwest.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northwest.

In south

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

East Central Section

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

West Central Section

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, but northwesterly 4 or 5 until later in northeast.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Denmark Strait

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 at first in southeast, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in southeast.
Weather
Snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

North Iceland

In north

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
Weather
Snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor. Occasional light or moderate icing with temperatures ms03 to ms06.

In south

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time in far south.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Norwegian Basin

Wind
Northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Wintry showers, rain or sleet later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for following 24 hours

Severe gales expected in north Iceland. Gales expected in Denmark Strait.

Unscheduled storm warnings are broadcast via Safetynet and in bulletin WONT54 EGRR available via some internet and ftpmail outlets

The high seas forecast information

High seas forecasts are issued twice daily at 0930 and 2130 GMT and cover the next 24 hours and outlooks for the following 24 hours.

The part of the North Atlantic known as Metarea I is divided into twelve sea areas, six of which are also in the Shipping forecast.

The high seas forecast contains a general synopsis and sea-area forecasts containing forecast wind direction and force, weather and visibility for the next 24 hours with an outlook for the following 24 hours.

Marine forecasts disclaimer

In the UK, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is responsible for the provision of Maritime Safety Information (MSI) to ships at sea, which includes the broadcast of warnings and forecasts. The Met Office initiates warnings and prepares routine forecasts for dissemination on behalf of the MCA.

Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.

Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.