Coast and Sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings


The general synopsis for UK

At 021200UTC, low 53 north 33 west 990 expected 56 north 12 west 981 by 021200UTC. Low 65 north 39 west 998 expected 62 north 39 west 989 by same time. Low Bailey 1000 losing its identity

Issued at: .

For the period to .

High seas forecast and storm warnings map


Sole

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Rough becoming very rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Shannon

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Rough becoming very rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Wind
West 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in south.
Weather
Rain or showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

East Northern Section

In north of area

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 later in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

In south of area

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then northwesterly 5 to 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in west.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in south.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

West Northern Section

In north of area

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches in far northwest.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor in far northwest.

In south of area

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5 at first in east, otherwise westerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in west.
Sea state
Moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

East Central Section

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6 at first in far north, otherwise westerly 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in southeast.
Weather
Rain or showers, perhaps thundery for a time in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

West Central Section

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6 at first in far north, otherwise westerly 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, but very rough or high at first in south.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate.

Denmark Strait

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in east, otherwise northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight just to the north of iceland.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle and fog patches, but freezing rain and fog banks in north and west.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor, occasionally good in southeast.

North Iceland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise southerly or southeasterly, backing easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle and fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor.

Norwegian Basin

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours

Gales are expected in Sole, Shannon, Rockall, East Northern Section, East Central Section, West Central Section and Denmark Strait.

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.