Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
High 250 miles west of Shannon 1025 expected just west of Rockall 1032 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forth
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 in northwest and later elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in northwest.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Wight
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in southeast and later in west.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in southeast, otherwise cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in southeast and very poor in northwest.
Sole
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northwest, moderate, occasionally slight later. in southeast, moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, fair. In southeast, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good. In southeast, good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northwest, moderate, occasionally slight later. in southeast, moderate.
- Weather
- In northwest, fair. In southeast, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good. In southeast, good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in southeast.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in southeast.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 in far south.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight at times in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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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