Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Atlantic high 1025 expected Plymouth 1022 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7 backing west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6 backing westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6 backing westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6 backing westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Cromarty
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Forth
- Wind
- West veering northwest, 2 to 4, backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Tyne
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Dogger
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 4 to 6, occasionally 3.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Humber
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northerly 3 or 4, veering easterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later near french coast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later near gibraltar.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6. In north, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6. In north, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shannon
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but smooth or slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest, becoming cyclonic later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Bailey
- Wind
- West becoming variable, 2 to 4, then cyclonic 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far north and slight later east of orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northeasterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight near icelandic coast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
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.