Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
High Scotland 1044 expected Viking 1040 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northerly 4 at first in east, otherwise variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less in north but veering easterly 2 or 3 later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in southeast, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forth
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, veering easterly 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Tyne
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, then occasionally smooth later in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northeasterly, veering easterly later, 4 or 5, decreasing 3 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- Northeasterly, veering easterly later, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- East or northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- East or northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Wight
- Wind
- East or northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- East or northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- East or northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar (issued 00:15 UTC)
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in far south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in far south.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, easterly or northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first. In north, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in south.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, easterly or northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first. In north, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in south.
Sole
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first and 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in south and west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shannon
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly in east, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- South 3 to 5 backing east or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in northwest, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 4, veering southwesterly 4 or 5 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough for a time in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain in northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwesterly 2 to 4 except in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, moderate or rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in northwest and 3 at first in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far east, otherwise rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally 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.