Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at midnight

Low Cromarty 976 expected east of Sweden 982 by midnight tonight

Issued at: 04:05 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026.

For the period 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 6 Apr 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning: Issued: 21:54 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Severe gale force 9 backing northeasterly imminent, backing northwesterly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Cyclonic becoming northwesterly, 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10, decreasing 5 to 7.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: Cyclonic becoming northwesterly, 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 21:54 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Cyclonic becoming northwesterly, 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10, decreasing 5 to 7.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Poor.

Forties

Gale warning: Issued: 21:54 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 imminent, veering northwesterly and increasing violent storm force 11 soon

Wind: Cyclonic severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 becoming west 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Storm force 10 backing westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Storm force 10 veering westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Storm force 10 veering westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Storm force 10 veering westerly and decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Gale warning: Issued: 06:30 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Storm force 10 veering westerly and increasing violent storm force 11 imminent

Wind: Southwest 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10, veering west 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

German Bight

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind: Southwest 7 to severe gale 9, veering west 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Humber

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: Southwest 7 to severe gale 9, veering west 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind: West 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Dover

Wind: West 6 or 7, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Wight

Wind: West 6 or 7, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Portland

Wind: West 6 or 7, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Plymouth

Wind: West 5 to 7 becoming variable 4, then southeast 6 later.
Sea state: Very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Biscay

Wind: Northwest veering southeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued: 23:15 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

FitzRoy

Wind: Variable 4 becoming southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Very rough at first in north, otherwise rough, occasionally moderate later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Sole

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: In west, westerly 5 backing southerly 6, increasing gale 8 later. In east, westerly 5 to 7, backing southwesterly 3 to 5, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: In west, rough or very rough. in east, very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Lundy

Wind: Westerly 5 to 7, backing southwesterly 3 to 5, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Fastnet

Wind: Westerly 5 to 7, backing southwesterly 3 to 5, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Irish Sea

Wind: West 5 to 7, backing south 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Shannon

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Gale now ceased but southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: West or southwest, backing southeast later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Westerly gale force 8 imminent backing southeasterly later

Wind: West or southwest, backing southeast later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Gale warning: Issued: 21:54 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Severe gale force 9 now backed northwesterly, backing westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, backing south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning: Issued: 21:54 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Gale force 8 backing westerly imminent

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, backing south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Gale force 8 backing southeasterly later

Wind: Cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in southeast.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning: Issued: 21:54 (UTC) on Sat 4 Apr 2026

Gale force 8 now backed northeasterly, backing northerly and increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, backing northwesterly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, decreasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Westerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later in south.
Sea state: Rough occasionally very rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sun 5 Apr 2026

Northeasterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind: Cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough occasionally very rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: 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.