The general synopsis at midday
Low mid-Atlantic 1003, moving rapidly northeast, expected east of Iceland 982 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, backing southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in far north, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in far north, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, backing southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough, then slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Tyne
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dogger
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fisher
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough, then moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Thames
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dover
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Wight
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Portland
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- In north, northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later. In south, northerly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- In north, moderate or rough. in south, rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- In north, fair, then occasional drizzle and fog patches. In south, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In north, moderate or good, occasionally very poor. In south, good occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough ,occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly 4 to 6. In north, northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In south, rough, occasionally moderate later. in north, rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, occasional rain. In north, occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In south, good occasionally moderate. In north, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough in west, moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Rockall
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Malin
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough in southeast, otherwise high or very high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering northwesterly imminent, decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- High or very high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Westerly becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- High or very high, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, wintry at times.
- 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.
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