Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
New high expected Shannon 1023 by 1800 Saturday. Low northwest Bailey 994 losing its identity. High Biscay 1016 dissipating
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Rain at first, thundery in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in south, fog patches in northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northwest.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic mainly northerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast. In northwest, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers, thundery later in west, fog patches in east.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in east.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic mainly northerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast. In northwest, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers, thundery later in west, fog patches in east.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in east.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4. In northwest, variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers, thundery later in west, fog patches in east. In northwest, showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in east. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4. In northwest, variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers, thundery later in west, fog patches in east. In northwest, showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in east. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in east, otherwise southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, but elsewhere moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in northwest and rough elsewhere.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- 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.
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.