Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
High FitzRoy 1029 expected Biscay 1030 by midday tomorrow. Low Norwegian Basin 996 expected Faeroes 998
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Forties
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Thames
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Biscay
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5 at first in north, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 4 to 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight near shore.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In far southeast, easterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later, elsewhere northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later in south. In north, westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate, occasionally rough. in north, moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later in south. In north, westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate, occasionally rough. in north, moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering west later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- West or southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West or southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west or northwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southwest backing south or southeast for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwest backing south or southeast for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight near iceland, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- 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.