Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
New low expected Bailey 988 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southwest later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southwest later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- In northwest, southwesterly veering westerly 4 or 5. In southeast, variable becoming north 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, slight or moderate, occasionally rough later. in southeast, slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, showers. In southeast, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally moderate. In southeast, good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- In northwest, southwesterly veering westerly 4 or 5. In southeast, variable becoming north 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, slight or moderate, occasionally rough later. in southeast, slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, showers. In southeast, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally moderate. In southeast, good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in far southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, cyclonic becoming northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast. In north, southwesterly veering westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate, becoming rough later. in north, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, occasional rain. In north, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In south, good, occasionally poor. In north, good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, cyclonic becoming northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast. In north, southwesterly veering westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate, becoming rough later. in north, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, occasional rain. In north, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In south, good, occasionally poor. In north, good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 veering southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 veering southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough or very rough later, except in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very 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.