Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 0600

Low just southwest of Iceland 973 expected 100 miles northeast of Faeroes 986 by 0600 tomorrow

Issued at: 11:30 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026.

For the period 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 28 Mar 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning: Issued: 15:48 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwest veering west later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Wind: Southerly 7 or gale 8 at first in north, otherwise southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Wind: Southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning: Issued: 15:48 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Westerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
Weather: Rain then wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning: Issued: 15:48 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Westerly gale force 8 expected soon

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning: Issued: 15:48 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Westerly gale force 8 expected soon

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 5 to 7.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Wind: Southwest veering west 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather: Rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

German Bight

Wind: Southwest veering west 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather: Rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Humber

Wind: Southwest veering west or northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Thames

Wind: Southwest veering west or northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Dover

Wind: Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Wight

Wind: Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Portland

Wind: Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Plymouth

Wind: Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Biscay

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in far east, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued: 00:15 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Wind: North or northeast 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

FitzRoy

Gale warning: Issued: 03:55 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Gale now ceased, but northeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: In south, northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later. In north, westerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state: In south, moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later. in north, moderate at first in east, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: In south, mainly fair. In north, occasional rain.
Visibility: In south, good. In north, good, occasionally moderate.

Sole

Wind: Westerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate at first in east, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Lundy

Wind: West or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Fastnet

Wind: West or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough in southwest.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Irish Sea

Wind: West or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Shannon

Wind: Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 15:48 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Storm force 10 veering northwesterly and decreasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: West veering northwest, 7 to severe gale 9, increasing storm 10 for a time, backing west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning: Issued: 21:53 (UTC) on Thu 26 Mar 2026

Westerly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West veering northwest, 7 to severe gale 9, backing west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning: Issued: 21:53 (UTC) on Thu 26 Mar 2026

Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing, veering and increasing westerly severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West veering northwest, 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Bailey

Gale warning: Issued: 03:55 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 veering and increasing northwesterly storm force 10 later

Wind: West veering northwest, 7 to severe gale 9, increasing storm 10 for a time.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning: Issued: 09:42 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Gale force 8 veering westerly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southwest, veering west or northwest later, 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: High or very high, but very rough east of islands.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 09:42 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly later

Wind: Southwest, veering west or northwest later, 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: High or very high, but very rough east of islands.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 15:48 (UTC) on Fri 27 Mar 2026

Severe gale force 9 veering northwesterly imminent, increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Southwesterly, veering northerly or northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 at times, then becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later in west.
Sea state: High or very high, becoming very rough or high, occasionally very high in south until later.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor, occasionally 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.