Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Atlantic low moving rapidly northeast, expected Norwegian Basin 977 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in south.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers close to spain, perhaps thundery at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, perhaps poor at times close to spain.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in far northwest, otherwise northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in southeast.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in southeast.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- In north, southwesterly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly 6 later. In south, southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- In north, rough or very rough. in south, rough, becoming very rough at times in north.
- Weather
- In north, rain then showers. In south, rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- In north, good, occasionally poor. In south, moderate or poor, occasionally good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- In north, southwesterly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly 6 later. In south, southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- In north, rough or very rough. in south, rough, becoming very rough at times in north.
- Weather
- In north, rain then showers. In south, rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- In north, good, occasionally poor. In south, moderate or poor, occasionally good.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough occasionally moderate, becoming very rough at times in north.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally good.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in north.
- Sea state
- Very rough occasionally rough, becoming very rough or high for a time in north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally good.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 soon
- Wind
- In southeast, southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in north. In northwest, southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, then westerly 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, very rough, becoming very rough or high for a time. in northwest, rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or poor, occasionally good. In northwest, moderate or poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 soon
- Wind
- In southeast, southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in north. In northwest, southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, then westerly 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, very rough, becoming very rough or high for a time. in northwest, rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or poor, occasionally good. In northwest, moderate or poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering west 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later except in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon, increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 later, veering west 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon, increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Southwesterly becoming cyclonic, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 for a time at first, increasing gale 8 to storm 10 for a time later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in east and south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
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.