Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
Low 50 miles west of Bailey 957 expected just northwest of Iceland 974 by 1800 Thursday. New high expected Biscay 1029 by same time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 later
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 later
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 or 7 at first in far northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or fog patches at first, otherwise showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southerly veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forth
- Wind
- Southerly veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southerly veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southerly veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or fog patches at first, otherwise showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southeasterly becoming cyclonic, then westerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in far north, otherwise moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southeasterly becoming cyclonic, then westerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Humber
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In south, rough or very rough. in north rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, showers.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In south, rough or very rough. in north rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, showers.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly storm force 10 veering southwesterly severe gale force 9 soon and decreasing gale force 8 later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering southerly soon
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 imminent veering southerly gale force 8 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first in north, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- High or very high, becoming very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 now veered southerly
- Wind
- Southerly 6 to gale 8 at first in far west, otherwise southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later in southeast.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first in east, otherwise showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in east.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent veering southerly gale force 8 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally thundery.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent veering southerly gale force 8 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally thundery.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally 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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