Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
New low moving quickly northeast, expected Norwegian Basin 976 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate at first in northwest, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first and perhaps gale 8 at times later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first and perhaps gale 8 at times later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- In north, westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, but in south, variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 to 4 at first in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but smooth or slight in sheltered southeast.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate or rough. in north, rough, but occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate or good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate or rough. in north, rough, but occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate or good.
Sole
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first and 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first and 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north and 2 later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased, but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased, but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough, but moderate or rough in east.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased, but southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- In northwest, cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6, elsewhere southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate for a time in far northwest.
- Weather
- Rain then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8,.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8,.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5. Occasionally 2 in north and 6 at first in south, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or 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.