Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
High 450 miles west of FitzRoy 1027 expected just west of Shannon 1036 by 1800 Friday. High south FitzRoy 1024 dissipating
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6 veering northwesterly 3 to 5, then northerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6 veering northwesterly 3 to 5, then northerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 veering northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 veering northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in northeast, slight or moderate in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 veering northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forth
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 veering northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Tyne
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4 becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Dogger
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4 becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4 becoming north or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northwest 4 to 6, veering north 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming north 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, fog patches in east.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in east and poor elsewhere.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4 becoming northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. In northwest, northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 veering northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair then rain. In northwest, rain then showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally poor. In northwest, good, occasionally poor at first.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4 becoming northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. In northwest, northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 veering northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair then rain. In northwest, rain then showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally poor. In northwest, good, occasionally poor at first.
Sole
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, veering northeasterly 3 to 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lundy
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, veering north or northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in east.
Shannon
- Wind
- West veering northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Rockall
- Wind
- West veering northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Malin
- Wind
- West veering northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- In west, very rough becoming rough, but in east, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Hebrides
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 3.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 3.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough until later except in southeast, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6 becoming northwest 3 to 5, backing west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming westerly or southwesterly 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high at first in east, otherwise rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in east.
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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