Shipping forecast and gale warnings

Tuesday 21 April 2026

The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 05:05 (UTC+1) on Tue 21 Apr 2026 for the period 07:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 21 Apr 2026 to 07:00 (UTC+1) on Wed 22 Apr 2026 .

There are warnings of gales in Plymouth, Biscay, Trafalgar, FitzRoy, Sole, Fastnet and Shannon.

The general synopsis at midnight

Low west Trafalgar 999 expected 250 miles west of FitzRoy 979 by midnight tonight. New low expected Biscay 1005 by same time

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours

Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire

Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor

Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger

Northeast 3 to 5. Slight or moderate. Occasional drizzle later in Forties and Cromarty. Moderate or good

Fisher

Northeast backing northwest, 3 to 5. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor later

German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover

East or northeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in German Bight. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in German Bight. Fair. Good

Wight, Portland, Plymouth

East or northeast 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in Plymouth. Slight or moderate at first in Wight and Portland, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west Plymouth. Fair. Good

Biscay

Easterly becoming cyclonic, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in northwest. Moderate or rough. Showers, perhaps thundery. Good, occasionally poor

Trafalgar (issued 2315 UTC)

Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 in far northwest. Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest. Showers, thundery at first. Good, occasionally poor.

FitzRoy

Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in northwest, decreasing 5 at times later. Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high later in far northwest. Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches in southeast. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southeast and poor elsewhere

Sole

East 6 or 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9. Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in west. Occasional rain. Good, occasionally poor

Lundy, Fastnet

East 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in Fastnet. In Lundy, slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west, but in Fastnet, moderate or rough, becoming very rough in southwest. Fair. Good

Irish Sea

East 4 to 6. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good

Shannon

Easterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in south. Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high later in far southwest. Fair then occasional rain in south. Good, occasionally poor later in south

Rockall

Easterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in southwest. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far southwest. Showers. Good

Malin, Hebrides, Bailey

Easterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 in north Bailey. Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight or moderate in Malin and Hebrides. Showers. Good

Fair Isle, Faeroes

East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in Faeroes and later in Fair Isle. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south Faeroes. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor

Southeast Iceland

Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later. Moderate. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor