Coast and Sea
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
High Biscay 1026 slow-moving 1025 by 1800 Sunday
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far southeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forties
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
German Bight
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Humber
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5 in southwest, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 in north, easterly or northeasterly 5 to 7 in south, occasionally gale 8 at first in far southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In northwest, southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, moderate or rough at first in northwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, occasional rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6. In northwest, southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough. in northwest, moderate or rough at first in northwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, occasional rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rockall
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Malin
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, backing southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly backing southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly backing southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
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.