Coast and Sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at midnight

High 250 miles west of Rockall 1036 slow-moving, intensifying 1038 by midnight tonight

Issued at: 04:05 (UTC) on Mon 20 Jul 2026.

For the period 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 20 Jul 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Tue 21 Jul 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Wind: North backing west or northwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Drizzle later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

North Utsire

Wind: Northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Drizzle later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

South Utsire

Wind: Northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight later.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Forties

Wind: Northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Cromarty

Wind: Northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Forth

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Tyne

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Dogger

Wind: North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Fisher

Wind: North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

German Bight

Wind: North or northwest 4 or 5.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Humber

Wind: Northerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in west.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Thames

Wind: Northerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in west.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Dover

Wind: Northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Wight

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Portland

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Plymouth

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Biscay

Wind: Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in south.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in northeast.
Weather: Thundery showers in south.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate in south.

FitzRoy

Wind: Cyclonic in far south, otherwise northeasterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in south.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather: Thundery showers in south.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate in south.

Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in southeast.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far northwest.
Weather: Showers, thundery later in northwest.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate in northwest.

Sole

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Lundy

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Fastnet

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Irish Sea

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, but northwesterly 4 to 6 in north.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Shannon

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Rockall

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Drizzle at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Malin

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Drizzle at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Hebrides

Wind: Westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind: Westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Wind: West or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind: Variable 2 to 4 at first in northeast, otherwise westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight at first then becoming rough at times.
Weather: Occasional drizzle, fog patches at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.

Southeast Iceland

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5 in far north, otherwise westerly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Drizzle later, fog patches in northeast.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northeast.

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.