Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low Rockall 992 losing its identity 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 or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, veering west or southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
German Bight
- Wind
- South 4 or 5 veering west 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in west, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Biscay
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In east, southwesterly 3 to 5, backing easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6. In west, southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In east, moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north. in west, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In east, fair. In west, rain.
- Visibility
- In east, good. In west, good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less in northwest, otherwise northerly 3 to 5, veering northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In east, southwesterly 3 to 5, backing easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6. In west, southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In east, moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north. in west, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In east, fair. In west, rain.
- Visibility
- In east, good. In west, good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Rockall
- Wind
- West backing south or southeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Malin
- Wind
- West or southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first in south.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- 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.