Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
High Sole 1022 dissipating by midnight tonight. New high Scotland 1020 expected by same time.
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate until later.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east and 2 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate until later in southeast.
- Weather
- Drizzle and fog patches in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later, decreasing 2 to 4 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in west.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- In north, northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times. In south, variable 3 or less, becoming mainly westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- In north, slight or moderate. in south, slight.
- Weather
- In north, fair . In south, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- In north, moderate or good, occasionally poor. In south, good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- In north, northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times. In south, variable 3 or less, becoming mainly westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- In north, slight or moderate. in south, slight.
- Weather
- In north, fair . In south, thundery showers.
- Visibility
- In north, moderate or good, occasionally poor. In south, good, occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in west and 6 at times in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in southeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in south and west, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, rough at times in northwest.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Mainly southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Mainly southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Mainly southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Mainly southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor, becoming 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.