Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 0600
Low Fair Isle 984 expected Humber 1002 by 0600 tomorrow. Low north Biscay 1006 moving rather quickly northeast, losing its identity
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but moderate occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest becoming cyclonic later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest becoming cyclonic later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west or northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected imminent
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Wight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected imminent
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Portland
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Cyclonic at first in southeast, otherwise northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic becoming northerly 4 to 6. In northwest, northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, rain at first. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good, occasionally poor at first. In northwest, good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic becoming northerly 4 to 6. In northwest, northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, rain at first. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good, occasionally poor at first. In northwest, good.
Sole
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering northwesterly later
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Bailey
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming northerly 4 to 6, backing westerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in southwest, becoming moderate occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming northerly 4 to 6, backing westerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in southwest, becoming moderate occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Northerly backing southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate later.
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.
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