Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low Bailey 996 expected Norwegian Sea 985 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, veering northwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, veering northwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering northwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first in southeast and rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, veering northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, veering northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering west 4 or 5, then northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming easterly 4 or 5 in southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7, perhaps gale 8 later, in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in southeast.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In northwest, southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less in southeast.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate, occasionally rough later. in northwest, moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In northwest, southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less in southeast.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate, occasionally rough later. in northwest, moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor, but very poor later.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor, but very poor later.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 4 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, backing southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough, then moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, veering west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in southeast, otherwise rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- 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.