Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Low FitzRoy 1009 expected Shannon 1009 by midday tomorrow. High German Bight 1025 expected Baltic 1021 by same time. New highs 1017 and 1019 expected Hebrides and Portland by midday tomorrow.
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southwest veering northeast later, 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional thundery rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southeasterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northeast veering southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- East veering southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Humber
- Wind
- East veering southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- East veering southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- East veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Wight
- Wind
- East veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Portland
- Wind
- East veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- East veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally 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 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Lundy
- Wind
- East backing southwest later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- East backing southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northwest, moderate. in southeast, moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, rain. In southeast, thundery rain.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally poor. In southeast, good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northwest, moderate. in southeast, moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, rain. In southeast, thundery rain.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally poor. In southeast, good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northeasterly later in southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional thundery rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northeasterly later in southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional thundery rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- 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.