Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
High Sole 1020 expected Tyne 1025 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 7 in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in west, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forth
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 but later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time in far northeast.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in far south, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Humber
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first.
Thames
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, veering easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4, then east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Wind
- Northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less in south, otherwise northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first in southeast.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in southeast.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lundy
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- North or northwest veering east or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shannon
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in far east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rockall
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Malin
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in far east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in far southwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Variable becoming southerly or southwesterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- 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.