Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Low just west of Bailey 993 slow-moving, filling 994 by midday tomorrow. New low expected Fair Isle 999 by same time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South, veering west or southwest later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South, veering west or southwest later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South, veering west or southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, thundery showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, thundery showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, thundery showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, thundery showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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, cyclonic 3 to 5 in northwest, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers, fog patches in southeast. In northwest, occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southeast. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4. In northwest, cyclonic 3 to 5 in northwest, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers, fog patches in southeast. In northwest, occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southeast. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 in west, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southwesterly, becoming cyclonic for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in far north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwesterly, becoming cyclonic for a time, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 for a time in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery in southeast, fog patches in southeast.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southeast and poor elsewhere.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southwesterly, becoming cyclonic for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8 until later near iceland, otherwise cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far west.
- 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.
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