Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
High Biscay 1025 dissipating
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches for a time later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time later.
Forties
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in west.
- Weather
- Rain and showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in west.
- Weather
- Rain and showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in west.
- Weather
- Rain and showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwest backing south or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northwest backing south or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6 in south, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches in far east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in far east.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5. In northwest, southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5. In northwest, southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest later, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest later, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest later, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Malin
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Bailey
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering west or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
Faeroes
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering west or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
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.