Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
Low Sole 1002 expected south Irish Sea 1005 by 1800 Thursday
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable mainly easterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Cromarty
- Wind
- East or southeast, veering northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- East or southeast, veering northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- East, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- East, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
German Bight
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Humber
- Wind
- East, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- East, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in southeast, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- East or southeast, veering west or southwest, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- East or southeast, veering west or southwest, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- East or southeast, veering west or southwest, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- East or southeast, veering west or southwest, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northeast backing north, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in south and slight in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later except in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to very poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very 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.