Shipping forecast and gale warnings
The general synopsis at 1800
High southwest Biscay 1026 expected northeast France 1030 by 1800 Wednesday. Low just east of Iceland 961 moving away northwards
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dogger
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in northeast, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fisher
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Thames
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dover
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Wight
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Portland
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 4 to 6 in south, then southeasterly 3 to 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in northwest, otherwise rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, veering southeasterly later in northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later. In northwest, southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, rough, occasionally very rough at first and moderate later. in northwest, very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later. In northwest, southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, rough, occasionally very rough at first and moderate later. in northwest, very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Sole
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shannon
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south later, 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly violent storm force 11 now decreased storm force 10, backing southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, backing south 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Storm force 10 backing southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 now backed southwesterly, decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in north, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough, occasionally high at first, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly violent storm force 11 now decreased storm force 10, decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent, decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 backing westerly soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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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