Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
High Sole 1026 dissipating
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- In north, cyclonic 3 to 5. In south, westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In north, slight or moderate. in south, moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- In north, moderate or poor. In south, good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- In north, cyclonic 3 to 5. In south, westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In north, slight or moderate. in south, moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- In north, moderate or poor. In south, good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming westerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- West 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but mainly westerly 3 to 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but mainly westerly 3 to 5 in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Northwesterly in far north otherwise northerly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, but cyclonic 4 to 6 in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate until later in west.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 in southwest, variable 2 to 4 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches developing in southwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southwest.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 in southwest, variable 2 to 4 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches developing in southwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southwest.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in west.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in south.
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.