Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low 100 miles west of Bailey 992 slow-moving, filling 993 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- In northeast, southwesterly, backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5. In southwest, southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- In northeast, occasional rain, fog patches. In southwest, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In northeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor. In southwest, good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- In northeast, southwesterly, backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5. In southwest, southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- In northeast, occasional rain, fog patches. In southwest, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In northeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor. In southwest, good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches, thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dover
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches, thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Wight
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog banks, thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Portland
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Cyclonic in far southeast, otherwise northerly, 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4. In northwest, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, fog patches developing in south. In northwest, occasional rain and fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4. In northwest, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, fog patches developing in south. In northwest, occasional rain and fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 except in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, but 6 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Malin
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough until later, then becoming slight at times later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, elsewhere moderate, occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- In southeast, southeasterly 3 to 5. In northwest, easterly or northeasterly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, rough, but very rough until later in west, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers. In northwest, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- In southeast, southeasterly 3 to 5. In northwest, easterly or northeasterly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. In northwest, rough, but very rough until later in west, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers. In northwest, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or 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.
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