Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at 1800

New high expected Humber 1024 by 1800 Friday. High Fair Isle 1032 dissipating

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming rough later in far north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Utsire

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Forties

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 to 4 in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in west.

Cromarty

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Forth

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Tyne

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Wind
In west, variable 2 to 4. In east, northwesterly 4 or 5.
Sea state
In west, slight. in east, moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in west.

Fisher

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

German Bight

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Humber

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Dover

Wind
Northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Wight

Wind
Northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Portland

Wind
East 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Plymouth

Wind
East 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Biscay

Wind
East becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers in south.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in south.

Trafalgar

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly 3 to 5 later in east.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate, but rough at first in northwest.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Sole

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Rough, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lundy

Wind
East 4 to 6, veering southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Fastnet

Wind
East 4 to 6, veering southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Irish Sea

Wind
East 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in northeast, slight or moderate in southwest.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Shannon

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rockall

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, backing east 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in southwest.
Weather
Showers in southwest.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in southwest.

Malin

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5, backing east 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Hebrides

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Bailey

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Fair Isle

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in far northeast.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Faeroes

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in far northeast.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Westerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northeasterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

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.