Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 0600
Low Rockall 1013 moving steadily east, losing its identity
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor but very poor later.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor but very poor later.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor but very poor later.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5, then veering northwesterly.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6 in far southeast, otherwise northerly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In southeast, northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later. In northwest, cyclonic, backing southwesterly later in west, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In southeast, northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later. In northwest, cyclonic, backing southwesterly later in west, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic, backing southwesterly later in west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, then backing west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time, backing west later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, then backing west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Malin
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5 for a time, then south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor but very poor later.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.