Coast and Sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings


The general synopsis for UK

At 161200UTC, high 58 north 24 west 1031 slow-moving, intensifying 1033 by 171200UTC

Issued at: .

For the period to .

High seas forecast and storm warnings map


Sole

Wind
North or northeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate later in northwest.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shannon

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight becoming moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rockall

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight becoming moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Bailey

Wind
Variable 3 or 4 becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Faeroes

Wind
North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time at first in west, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

East Northern Section

In northern half of the area

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly in east, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in northeast.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Drizzle at times in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in north.

In southern half of the area

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in north and east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fog patches in west.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.

West Northern Section

In northern half of the area

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in west.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight later in far northwest.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

In southern half of the area

Wind
Southeasterly veering southerly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, mainly in west, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.

East Central Section

Wind
Mainly northeasterly 3 or 4, but variable 3 or less in far northwest.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first in southeast, perhaps thundery, fog patches in far northwest.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in far northwest.

West Central Section

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in southwest and variable 3 or less in far northeast, otherwise southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate throughout in west.
Weather
Drizzle at times in west, fog banks in west and north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west and north.

Denmark Strait

In area to the south of 70 north

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first in east.
Weather
Drizzle at times, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

In area to the north of 70 north

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly later, 3 or 4.
Sea state
Moderate at first in far south, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Iceland

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south and east, backing southwesterly 3 or 4 later in west.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional drizzle at first in east, fog patches in southwest, and also at first in east.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southwest, and also at first in east.

Norwegian Basin

In far southeast

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 veering northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight becoming moderate, then occasionally rough later.
Weather
Drizzle for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

In the rest of the area

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in south, moderate throughout in north.
Weather
Fog patches in northwest.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northwest.

Outlook for the following 24 hours

Gales expected in far southeast of Norwegian Basin.

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

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.

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