Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Atlantic low 980 moving rapidly northeast, expected 150 miles west of Bailey 933 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, backing southerly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, backing southerly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time, backing southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Rough occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 now veered northwesterly, backing southerly soon
- Wind
- West backing south, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly southerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- West backing south, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- West backing south, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 now veered northwesterly
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 now veered northwesterly
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 now veered northwesterly
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dover
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5. In northwest, westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate, occasionally rough in northwest. in northwest, rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers, fog patches later. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor later. In northwest, good.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5. In northwest, westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate, occasionally rough in northwest. in northwest, rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- In southeast, showers, fog patches later. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- In southeast, moderate or good, occasionally very poor later. In northwest, good.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon, increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high, then high or very high later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high, then high or very high later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon, veering southwesterly and increasing violent storm force 11 later
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, then southwest severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 later, perhaps hurricane force 12 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high later, then phenomenal later in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- West 6 to gale 8, backing south gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later in west.
- Weather
- Squally showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- West 6 to gale 8, backing south gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high later.
- Weather
- Squally showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly violent storm force 11 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, increasing severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 later, perhaps hurricane force 12 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very high or phenomenal later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate, becoming moderate or 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.
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