Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
High 100 miles west of Rockall 1029 expected northwest Rockall 1033 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, increasing in east.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in south.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, increasing 6.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in south.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Forties
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Cromarty
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Forth
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Tyne
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Dogger
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
German Bight
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Thames
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Wight
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming cyclonic mainly northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers developing, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming cyclonic mainly northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers developing, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, thundery at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Sole
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lundy
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally variable 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally variable 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in south, smooth or slight in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shannon
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first in southeast.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Wind
- In northwest, variable 2 to 4. In southeast, northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first in southeast.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- In southeast, northerly veering northeasterly, 3 to 5. In northwest, variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- In southeast, northerly veering northeasterly, 3 to 5. In northwest, variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- In southeast, slight or moderate. in northwest, moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 3 or less. In northwest, southwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 3 or less. In northwest, southwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, moderate throughout in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain at first in southeast.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in southeast.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very 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.