Coast and Sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 0600

Low south Norwegian Sea 995, expected just north of North Utsire 999 by 0600 tomorrow

Issued at: 10:30 (UTC) on Mon 06 Jul 2026.

For the period 12:00 (UTC) on Mon 06 Jul 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Tue 07 Jul 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

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.

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.