Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Developing Atlantic low moving rather quickly northeast, expected Hebrides 1001 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Forth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Tyne
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Dogger
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Fisher
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
German Bight
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Humber
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Thames
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dover
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Wight
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Portland
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6, but 6 to gale 8 except in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough except in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, but variable 3 or 4 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Sole
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northwest, backing southwest for a time, 4 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 3 at first, otherwise cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 3 at first, otherwise cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then becoming cyclonic later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, then becoming cyclonic later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- 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.