Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
New low 986 expected 50 miles north of North Utsire by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first and perhaps later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise westerly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 4 or 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- In south, mainly moderate, but rough at first in far south. in north, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good, occasionally moderate in north.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In north, westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- In south, mainly moderate, but rough at first in far south. in north, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, fair. In north, occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good, occasionally moderate in north.
Sole
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering northwesterly imminent
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northwesterly 5 to 7, occasional gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gales now ceased but westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gales now ceased but northwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic, 3 to 5, becoming northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- 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.
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