Coast and Sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings


The general synopsis at midnight

Atlantic low 996 moving eastwards expected close to northeast Faeroes 991 by midnight tonight

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map


Viking

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Cromarty

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Forth

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Tyne

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Dogger

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Fisher

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

German Bight

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally variable 2 in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Humber

Wind
South or southeast veering south or southwest later 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time in north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Thames

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Dover

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Wight

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Portland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Plymouth

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Biscay

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good.

Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)

Wind
Southwesterly at first in the northwest, otherwise westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good.

Sole

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good.

Lundy

Wind
Southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Fastnet

Wind
Southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Irish Sea

Wind
Southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate for a time in north.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Shannon

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less for a time in south.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough for a time in north.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Wind
Southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough for a time.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind
Cyclonic 6 or 7 in south, but 4 or 5 at first in north, becoming westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 for a time at first, decreasing 4 at times later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally rough for a time in west.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind
Southeast 3 or 4, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7,.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Northerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
Weather
Rain, fog patches in northeast.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor, but occasionally very poor in northeast.

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.

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