Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midday
Low Shannon 975 expected 100 miles west of Bailey 953 by midday tomorrow
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In northeast, easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. In southwest, southeasterly veering southerly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- In northeast, slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later. in southwest, slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- In northeast, occasional rain. In southwest, drizzle, fog patches developing, rain later.
- Visibility
- In northeast, good, occasionally moderate. In southwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In northeast, easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. In southwest, southeasterly veering southerly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- In northeast, slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later. in southwest, slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- In northeast, occasional rain. In southwest, drizzle, fog patches developing, rain later.
- Visibility
- In northeast, good, occasionally moderate. In southwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later, then occasionally very rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches developing, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches developing, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches developing, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle, fog patches developing, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Thames
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Dover
- Wind
- Southeast, veering south or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Southeast, veering south or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Southeast, veering south or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or very rough for a time in west.
- Weather
- Rain, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in northwest, veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or very rough for a time in west.
- Weather
- Rain, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in far southeast, otherwise southerly becoming cyclonic, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, moderate or rough elsewhere.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering southwesterly decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering southwesterly decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, veering south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, veering south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, veering south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Rain then thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, veering southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough occasionally high in northwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Southeast 7 to severe gale 9, becoming cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high, occasionally very high later.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- Southeast 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally moderate near shore, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- Southeast 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally moderate near shore, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Southeast 7 to severe gale 9, becoming cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high, occasionally very high later.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, but very poor at first.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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.
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