Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Atlantic low 995 expected Norwegian Basin 1000 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first and 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first and 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first and 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first and 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate ,occasionally slight at first in east and rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate ,occasionally slight at first in east and rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less at first in north, otherwise easterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east and south and rough later in southwest.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog banks later in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later in north.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 4 to 6, but easterly 6 to gale 8 in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in southeast and at first also in far north and slight near portuguese coast.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northeasterly becoming cyclonic, 5 to 7. In north, variable 4 or less, becoming easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, drizzle, fog banks.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate to very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northeasterly becoming cyclonic, 5 to 7. In north, variable 4 or less, becoming easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, drizzle, fog banks.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate to very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Westerly 4 or 5 becoming variable 4 or less, then easterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough in north.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, but slight or moderate in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming northeasterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very 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.