Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low 100 miles northwest of Norway 993 expected 200 miles northwest of Norway 995 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- West or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- West or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west for a time, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- West backing southwest for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- West backing southwest for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- West 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in far southeast, otherwise northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in far southeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Northerly 5 or 6 in far southeast, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far southeast.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Sole
- Wind
- West backing southwest later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West backing southwest later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West backing southwest later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- West, backing south or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Rockall
- Wind
- West, backing south or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Malin
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in north, otherwise westerly 4 to 6, backing southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, rain later in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but northeasterly 5 or 6 at first in far northwest and northwesterly 5 or 6 later in far northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
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.