Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Low mid-Atlantic 995 expected just west of Shannon 972 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight, then moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwest veering east 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
German Bight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in south.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Wight
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasional moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Portland
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast later, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Plymouth
- Wind
- East veering southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- East veering southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic mainly south or southeast, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering west or southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering west or southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough later, occasionally high later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, squally rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough later, occasionally high later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, squally rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South backing southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South backing southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, then rain in.
- 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.
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