Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
Low 250 miles west of Bailey 975 expected Faeroes 981 by 1800 Thursday
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering west 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering west 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first in west, becoming rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Tyne
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Dogger
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Fisher
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later except in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
German Bight
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later except in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far northeast.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in southwest.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, but variable 2 to 4 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast and very rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- In south, northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first. In north, westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate or rough. in north, moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In south, showers later. In north, rain.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good, occasionally moderate.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- In south, northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first. In north, westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- In south, moderate or rough. in north, moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In south, showers later. In north, rain.
- Visibility
- In south, good. In north, good, occasionally moderate.
Sole
- Wind
- West 5 or 6, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lundy
- Wind
- West 5 or 6, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West 5 or 6, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7 veering west 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shannon
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough, occasionally high in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering westerly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased, but westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high, but in southeast slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased, but westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering southwesterly imminent, veering westerly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, then west 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high except in east.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased, but westerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high except in far northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later near icelandic coast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- 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.
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