Coast and sea
The general synopsis at midday
Low 350 miles west of north Bailey 939 expected 150 miles west of north Bailey 958 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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Viking
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Forties
- Wind
- In east, westerly or southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6. In west, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In east, rain later. In west, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later in east.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forth
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- In east, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later. In west, southerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- In east, slight or moderate. in west, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times, becoming mainly fair later in west.
- Visibility
- In east, good, occasionally poor. In west, good, occasionally poor until later.
Portland
- Wind
- Southerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Biscay
- Wind
- In northwest, southerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first and 3 later. In southeast, southerly becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In northwest, rough or very rough. in southeast, moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In northwest, occasional rain, becoming mainly fair later. In southeast, showers.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally poor until later. In southeast, moderate or good.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, 3 to 5 in southeast otherwise 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8
- Wind
- In south, cyclonic becoming northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east. In north, cyclonic 6 to gale 8 at first in east, otherwise mainly westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in southeast, otherwise very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8 at first in east, otherwise mainly westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8 becoming mainly westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8 at first in east, otherwise mainly westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in east, very rough or high in west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly imminent
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8 becoming mainly westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 now veered southwesterly
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly mainly 4 to 6, but 7 or gale 8 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- High, occasionally very high at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly storm force 10 decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- High or very high.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering southerly imminent
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- High or very high.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in west, perhaps gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in southeast, very rough or high in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering easterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent, veering southeasterly soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in south and 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in northeast, otherwise high or very high.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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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