Coast and Sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings


The general synopsis for UK

At 241200UTC, low 66 north 16 west 1001 expected 70 north 10 west 999 by 251200UTC. Lows 52 north 23 west 1015 and 60 north 42 west 1004 both losing their identities by same time. High 56 north 06 west 1022 expected 56 north 04 east with little change by that time

Issued at: .

For the period to .

High seas forecast and storm warnings map


Sole

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly 6 or 7 later in far west.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
Weather
Thundery showers, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Shannon

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in west.
Sea state
Slight at first in east, otherwise moderate, occasionally rough later in far southwest.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northeasterly 4 to 6 later in south.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northwest.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Bailey

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later near iceland.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

East Northern Section

Wind
Variable 3 or less at first in far northwest, otherwise westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in south and east.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

West Northern Section

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 in far north, otherwise westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in south, becoming moderate later in northwest.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

East Central Section

In northwest of area

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly later in north, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

In southeast of area

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later in east.
Sea state
Rain or showers, perhaps thundery later.
Weather
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Visibility

West Central Section

Wind
Northwesterly in far southeast, otherwise westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, backing southerly 6 to gale 8 later in west.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later in far southwest.
Weather
Showers at first in north, rain later in west.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to poor later in west.

Denmark Strait

Wind
Variable, becoming southwest later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in south and smooth in north.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

North Iceland

In north of area

Wind
Southerly, becoming cyclonic in southeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate in southeast.
Weather
Rain or drizzle, fog banks in west, fog patches in east.
Visibility
Moderate to poor, occasionally very poor.

In south of area

Wind
Cyclonic becoming southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east, then increasing 6 or 7 later in far south.
Sea state
Slight in west, moderate in east, occasionally rough later in far south.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Norwegian Basin

Wind
Cyclonic becoming southwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight at first in far northeast.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours

Risk of severe gales in West Central Section. Risk of gales in East Northern Section and East Central Section.

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.

Take our short survey