Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
Atlantic high 1031 slow moving and intensifying 1033 by 1800 Friday. New low 1015 expected southern England by same time.
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first and 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first and 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less until later in east, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forties
- Wind
- North backing northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- North backing northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forth
- Wind
- North backing northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Tyne
- Wind
- North backing northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dogger
- Wind
- North backing northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally variable 3 or less later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Wight
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair in north but showers elsewhere, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in north and 6 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly north 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly north 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly northerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly northerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly northerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shannon
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rockall
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Bailey
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Faeroes
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time at first in west, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west and slight at times in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
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.