Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low FitzRoy 1010 expected Sole 1008 by midnight tonight. High Forties 1022 expected German Bight 1020 by same time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers developing, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers developing, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers developing, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers developing, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northeast veering east or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Northeast veering east or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Northeast veering east or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Plymouth
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west and slight at first in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west, increasing 5 to 7 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west and slight at first in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 at times, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shannon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough at times.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, rain. In southeast, thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, rain. In southeast, thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southwest becoming cyclonic, then west or northwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional thundery rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwest becoming cyclonic, then west or northwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southwest becoming cyclonic, then west or northwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Occasional thundery rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwest becoming cyclonic, then west or northwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shipping forecast information
The shipping forecast is issued four times a day at 2300, 0500, 1100, 1700 UTC and covers a period of 24 hours from 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC respectively.
The waters around the British Isles are divided into 31 sea areas shown on the map.
The forecast contains details of gale warnings in force, a general synopsis and sea-area forecasts containing wind direction and force, sea state, weather and visibility.
Gale warnings are issued as required throughout the day (for winds of Gale Force 8 or more).
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.