Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low Bailey 997 expected Irish Sea 1001 by midnight tonight. Low Fisher 1001 expected Baltic 997 by same time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming northerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming northerly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming northerly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming northerly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming northerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West veering north later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West veering north later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- West veering north later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- West 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Thames
- Wind
- West 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Wind
- West becoming cyclonic for a time at first, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West becoming cyclonic for a time at first, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West becoming cyclonic for a time at first, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West becoming cyclonic for a time at first, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later, fog patches at first in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, very poor at first in south.
Biscay
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Sole
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lundy
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest veering north later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rockall
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northerly or northwesterly, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northeasterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- In south, cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northeasterly 5 to 7. In north, northeasterly, 5 to 7, backing northerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, rain or thundery showers. In north, rain or showers.
- Visibility
- In south, good, occasionally poor. In north, good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- In south, cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northeasterly 5 to 7. In north, northeasterly, 5 to 7, backing northerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, rain or thundery showers. In north, rain or showers.
- Visibility
- In south, good, occasionally poor. In north, good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Northeasterly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing northerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Northeast backing north later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Northeast backing north later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in southeast, becoming variable 2 to 4 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- 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.
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