Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low 200 miles west of Rockall 958 expected just west of Bailey with little change by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- In northeast, southeasterly 6 to gale 8. In southwest, southeasterly 5 to 7, veering southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northeast, rough or very rough, occasionally moderate. in southwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In northeast, occasional rain. In southwest, occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- In northeast, good, occasionally poor. In southwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- In northeast, southeasterly 6 to gale 8. In southwest, southeasterly 5 to 7, veering southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In northeast, rough or very rough, occasionally moderate. in southwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In northeast, occasional rain. In southwest, occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- In northeast, good, occasionally poor. In southwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, veering southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.
Forth
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, veering southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, 4 to 6, but 6 to gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming north later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast and very rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly 4 to 6, then northwesterly 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in northwest, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, becoming southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming high or very high for a time.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- South or southeast 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in east and high in west.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- South or southeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in east and high in west.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- South or southeast 6 to gale 8, increasing gale 8 to storm 10 for a time.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming high or very high.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later, perhaps storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later, occasionally very high later.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very 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.
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