Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
New high expected Lundy 1031 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, veering west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7, veering westerly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, veering west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in south.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly becoming cyclonic in southeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far southeast, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northeasterly 4 to 6. In north, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate or rough. in north, moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- In south, showers near spain. In north, showers in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northeasterly 4 to 6. In north, variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate or rough. in north, moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- In south, showers near spain. In north, showers in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- West backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Bailey
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Faeroes
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough later in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
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.