Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low Trafalgar 1003 expected Biscay 1007 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far east, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far east, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in east, and later also in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, increasing 5 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Humber
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Portland
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in south, moderate or rough in north.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first and 2 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first and 2 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6 becoming west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Sole
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in east, becoming variable 3 or less in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lundy
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- East or southeast, backing northeast for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shannon
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly mainly 3 to 5, but 6 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, moderate or rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in northwest, otherwise rough, but becoming moderate later in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in west.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in southeast, otherwise southwesterly backing southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in far west, becoming southerly 4 to 6, then becoming variable 3 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very 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.