Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low moving steadily east expected 200 miles west of Rockall 988 by midnight tonight. Lows Fair Isle 1004 and Hebrides 1003 losing their identities
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in the utsires.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in the utsires.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in the utsires.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south or southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south or southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- In northwest, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6. In southeast, variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, moderate, occasionally rough. in southeast, moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- In northwest, rain or showers. In southeast, showers.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally poor. In southeast, good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- In northwest, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6. In southeast, variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, moderate, occasionally rough. in southeast, moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- In northwest, rain or showers. In southeast, showers.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good, occasionally poor. In southeast, good, occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly in northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in northwest.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in south, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in northeast, otherwise southeasterly becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming east or southeast, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming east or southeast, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- 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.
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