Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at midnight
Low Faeroes 988 expected Norwegian Basin 978 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly, 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly, 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, veering northwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, veering northwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in northeast, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, veering northwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dogger
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Humber
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in southeast.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery in south, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1)
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first and rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rockall
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, becoming variable 3 for a time later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming northwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 at times in southwest.
- Sea state
- Rough occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 in southwest, otherwise northwesterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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.
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.