Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
High FitzRoy 1031 expected Sole 1026 by 1800 on Sunday
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7, backing westerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough, becoming slight at times later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forties
- Wind
- In northeast, northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 or 4 later. In southwest, westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 or 3, then southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northeast, moderate, becoming slight at times later. in southwest, slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In northeast, showers, rain later. In southwest, showers then rain.
- Visibility
- In northeast, moderate or good. In southwest, moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Forties
- Wind
- In northeast, northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 or 4 later. In southwest, westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 or 3, then southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northeast, moderate, becoming slight at times later. in southwest, slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In northeast, showers, rain later. In southwest, showers then rain.
- Visibility
- In northeast, moderate or good. In southwest, moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 or 3, then southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Forth
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 or 3, then southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Tyne
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 or 3, then southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Dogger
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 or 3, then southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in east, backing westerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Humber
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Thames
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, increasing moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, increasing moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- In southeast, easterly becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in far east. In northwest, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east. in northwest, moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, good, occasionally very poor.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- In southeast, easterly becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in far east. In northwest, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east. in northwest, moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Easterly becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in south, becoming slight at times in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor, occasionally very poor later in north.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Lundy
- Wind
- West backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor, but very poor at times later.
Rockall
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing southwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Malin
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing southwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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.