Coast and sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings

The general synopsis for UK

At 030000UTC, high 50 north 34 west 1032 expected 46 north 31 west 1031 by 040000UTC. New lows moving steadily southwards, expected 61 north 11 west 1009 and 70 north 08 west 998 by same time

Issued at: .

For the period to .

High seas forecast and storm warnings map

Sole

Wind
In west, northerly 4 to 6. in east, variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
In west, moderate or rough. in east, slight or moderate.
Weather
In west, showers. in east, thundery showers.
Visibility
In west, good, occasionally moderate. in east, good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Wind
North 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rockall

Wind
Northeast 4 to 6, backing northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Bailey

Wind
West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Faeroes

Wind
West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Northwesterly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

East Northern Section

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Occasional drizzle, wintry showers later in far northeast.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

West Northern Section

In north

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in far west.

In south

Wind
Westerly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather
Occasional drizzle, fog patches later in far west.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later in far west.

East Central Section

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

West Central Section

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5 later in far west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in west.

Denmark Strait

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 later in far east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in far east.
Weather
Snow showers later in east.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later in east. Light icing later in far northeast, with temperatures ms02 to ms04.

North Iceland

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in northwest.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest.
Weather
Snow showers, but rain at first in far southeast.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor. Light or moderate icing in northwest, with temperatures ms03 to ms06.

Norwegian Basin

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly later, 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers, wintry showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for following 24 hours

Gales expected in Denmark Strait, north Iceland and Norwegian Basin, with a likelihood of severe gales in the northwest of north Iceland.

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.