Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
New low expected southwest Norway 1010 by 1800 Wednesday. New high expected Fastnet 1028 by same time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwesterly later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwesterly later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwesterly later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwesterly later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwest later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwest later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwest later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, then northwest later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6. In northwest, variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly, veering southerly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate occasionally rough. in northwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6. In northwest, variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly, veering southerly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate occasionally rough. in northwest, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly, veering southerly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 5 to 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Wind
- Northwest, backing southeast later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly, 4 to 6, backing southerly or southeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly, 4 to 6, backing southerly or southeasterly later, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly in east, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in northwest, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Squally 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.