Coast and Sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 0600

Complex low Hebrides 959 and Bailey 955 expected single centre 200 miles northeast of Iceland 967 by 0600 tomorrow

Issued at: 11:30 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026.

For the period 12:00 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Wed 28 Oct 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning: Issued: 03:47 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Severe gale force 9 veering southwesterly soon

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 03:47 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Severe gale force 9 veering southerly imminent

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly imminent

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Gale warning: Issued: 21:49 (UTC) on Mon 26 Oct 2026

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly soon

Wind: Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Dogger

Gale warning: Issued: 21:49 (UTC) on Mon 26 Oct 2026

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly soon

Wind: Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Fisher

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7 veering west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Very rough at first in northwest, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

German Bight

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7 veering west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in south.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Humber

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7 veering west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Thames

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7 veering west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Dover

Wind: West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Wight

Wind: West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Portland

Wind: West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Plymouth

Wind: West 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Biscay

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, veering easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 in south but becoming variable 2 to 4 elsewhere.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming rough later.
Weather: Rain at first in south, otherwise showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, veering easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 in southeast but becoming variable 2 to 4 elsewhere.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming rough later.
Weather: Rain at first in south, otherwise showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Trafalgar (issued 00:15 UTC)

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Sole

Wind: West backing southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers, squally at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Lundy

Wind: West backing southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, squally at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Fastnet

Wind: West backing southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers, squally at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Irish Sea

Wind: West backing southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time later, then decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, squally at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Shannon

Gale warning: Issued: 03:47 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Westerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West backing southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: High becoming very rough, then occasionally rough later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor, occasionally good later.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Westerly violent storm force 11 now decreased storm force 10, backing southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West 7 to severe gale 9 backing southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: High becoming very rough.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Storm force 10 backing southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West 7 to severe gale 9 backing southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: High becoming very rough, then occasionally rough in east and south.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Southwesterly violent storm force 11 decreasing storm force 10 imminent, decreasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: West gale 8 to storm 10 backing southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: High or very high becoming very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Poor, occasionally moderate.

Bailey

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Violent storm force 11 backing westerly and decreasing storm force 10 imminent, decreasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: West gale 8 to storm 10 backing southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: High or very high becoming very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Poor, occasionally moderate.

Fair Isle

Gale warning: Issued: 09:58 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Southwesterly storm force 10 increasing violent storm force 11 imminent

Wind: Cyclonic severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 becoming southwest 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 6 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first in west, becoming rough later in southeast.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 15:58 (UTC) on Mon 26 Oct 2026

Southeasterly severe gale force 9 imminent, veering westerly and increasing storm force 10 later

Wind: Cyclonic 4 to 6 at first in north, otherwise westerly or southwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high, but occasionally very high for a time at first.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 03:47 (UTC) on Tue 27 Oct 2026

Severe gale force 9 backing westerly soon

Wind: Cyclonic 4 to 6 at first in north, otherwise westerly or southwesterly 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Moderate or 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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