The general synopsis at midday
Low 800 miles west of Rockall 959 expected 150 miles west of Bailey 961 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, but in east, moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Forth
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then becoming rough for a time later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Tyne
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Wight
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northwesterly, backing southwesterly for a time in north, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in southwest, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Trafalgar
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, otherwise rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high later in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly 4 to 6, then veering westerly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor later.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering southwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough or high, then very high later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming squally and perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming squally and perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly severe gale force 9 expected soon
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming squally and perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering southwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough or high, then very high later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming squally and perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough or high except in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming squally and perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time, 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming squally and perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected soon, backing northeasterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later near iceland.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in north, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Rain, snow or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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.
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