Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Atlantic high 1029 expected FitzRoy with little change by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Westerly backing southerly, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly backing southerly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly backing southerly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- West 3 to 5 backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- West 3 to 5 backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northwesterly, becoming variable, 2 to 4, then southwesterly 4 to 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in far southeast, otherwise northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in far southeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less in south.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate, occasionally rough. in north, moderate.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, fair then rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less in south.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate, occasionally rough. in north, moderate.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, fair then rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south, veering southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough, but moderate at first in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southwest, backing southeast for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwest, backing southeast for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but smooth or slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West 3 to 5 becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- West 3 to 5 becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, but northwesterly 4 to 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in west, occasionally rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very 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.
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.
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