Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
High German Bight 1033 expected Germany 1031 by midnight tonight. New high expected Rockall 1031 by same time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Humber
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Easterly 6 to gale 8 in far southeast and variable 3 in far northeast, otherwise northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far southeast.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in southeast, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shannon
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in northwest, otherwise moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 2 to 4 later. In southeast, southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, rough, occasionally moderate later. in southeast, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In northwest, showers. In southeast, occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good. In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 2 to 4 later. In southeast, southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, rough, occasionally moderate later. in southeast, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In northwest, showers. In southeast, occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In northwest, good. In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- 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.