Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at 1800

Low 1000 miles west of Shannon 992 expected just west of Bailey 967 by 1800 Tuesday

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

North Utsire

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

South Utsire

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Forties

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Cromarty

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Forth

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Tyne

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Dogger

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Fisher

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor.

German Bight

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor.

Humber

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming moderate or good.

Thames

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming moderate or good.

Dover

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming moderate or good.

Wight

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, then occasionally rough later in northwest.
Weather
Showers, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming moderate or good.

Portland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate until later in northeast, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Northwesterly at first in southeast, otherwise westerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Westerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later in west.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lundy

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later in southwest.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Rough at first in southeast, otherwise very rough, but becoming high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally later.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering westerly and increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind
West or southwest 4 to 6 backing south or southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 later.
Sea state
Very rough, becoming high or very high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally later.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time, then occasionally severe gale 9 later, perhaps storm 10 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally later.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time, then occasionally severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally later.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent, veering southwesterly soon

Wind
Southwest 6 to gale 8 backing south 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Very rough, occasionally high in west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing south or southeast 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough until later in southeast, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing south or southeast 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly soon

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Rain or wintry showers.
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.