Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 0600
Low south Norwegian Sea 995, expected just north of North Utsire 999 by 0600 tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, occasionally 7, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Dogger
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in northeast, otherwise westerly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, veering northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5 at first in north, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Northwesterly in far north otherwise northerly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, but cyclonic 4 to 6 in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northwesterly 4 to 6 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight or moderate in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches later in southwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor but very poor later in southwest.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 to 4 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 to 4 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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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