Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 0600
High Cromarty 1032 expected Forties 1028 by 0600 tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, backing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Humber
- Wind
- Northeast, veering southeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Northeast, veering southeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog banks in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog banks in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Easterly 6 to gale 8 at first in far southeast, otherwise cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in southeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, veering west or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, veering west or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- East, veering south or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- East, veering south or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, veering south or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southeast, veering south, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog banks.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- East, veering southeast, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Malin
- Wind
- East, veering southeast, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Easterly, veering southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- In south, easterly, veering southeasterly, 3 to 5. In north, southerly, backing southeasterly, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- In south, slight or moderate. in north, moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, showers.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good occasionally moderate.
Bailey
- Wind
- In south, easterly, veering southeasterly, 3 to 5. In north, southerly, backing southeasterly, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- In south, slight or moderate. in north, moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, showers.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good occasionally moderate.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwest, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing easterly or northeasterly later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or 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.