Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
New low expected just north of Iceland 978 by 1800 Friday
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- North 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in far southeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Sole
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 to 5, then backing south or southwest 4 to 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5, then backing southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rockall
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- 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.