Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Frontal trough Fisher to Fastnet expected German Bight to Biscay by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Wind
- Northerly backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Cromarty
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dogger
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwesterly at first in south, otherwise northwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in north and west.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Humber
- Wind
- West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north and also later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, veering easterly later in west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later in far southwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in far southwest.
Sole
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less at times in east, occasionally 6 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east and elsewhere later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but rough at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- North, backing northwest later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- North backing west or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- North backing northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Northerly backing westerly or northwesterly later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Northerly at first in east, otherwise westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- 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.
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