Coast and Sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at midday

Frontal trough Fisher to Fastnet expected German Bight to Biscay by midday tomorrow

Issued at: 16:25 (UTC) on Thu 20 Aug 2026.

For the period 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 20 Aug 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 21 Aug 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Wind: Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

North Utsire

Wind: Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

South Utsire

Wind: Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southeast.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Forties

Wind: Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Cromarty

Wind: North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Forth

Wind: North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Tyne

Wind: North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Dogger

Wind: North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Fisher

Wind: Northwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in north.
Sea state: Slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

German Bight

Wind: Southwesterly at first in south, otherwise northwesterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in north and west.
Weather: Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Humber

Wind: West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Dover

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Wight

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Portland

Wind: West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Wind: West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Wind: Northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)

Wind: Cyclonic becoming northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north and also later in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly, veering easterly later in west, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, rain later in far southwest.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later in far southwest.

Sole

Wind: North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but rough at first.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Lundy

Wind: North or northwest 4 or 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Fastnet

Wind: North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but rough at first in southwest.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Irish Sea

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less at times in east, occasionally 6 at first in west.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east and elsewhere later.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Shannon

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at first in east.
Sea state: Moderate, but rough at first.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Rockall

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at first in east.
Sea state: Moderate, but rough at first in south.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Malin

Wind: North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Hebrides

Wind: North, backing northwest later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Bailey

Wind: North backing west or northwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Fair Isle

Wind: North backing northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Faeroes

Wind: Northerly backing westerly or northwesterly later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Southeast Iceland

Wind: Northerly at first in east, otherwise westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

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.