Coast and sea
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The general synopsis at 0600
Low Viking 987 slow-moving, filling 989 by 0600 tomorrow. Low Faeroes 986 losing its identity
Issued at:.
For the periodto.
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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iShipping forecast and gale warnings explained
Viking
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, decreasing 3 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, decreasing 3 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south, decreasing 4 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forth
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Tyne
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Dogger
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Fisher
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
German Bight
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Humber
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in northeast, but in southwest, moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Thames
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Dover
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Wight
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Portland
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Plymouth
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Biscay
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 4 or 5 in far north.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first in southeast, drizzle later in far north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- Northerly, but cyclonic in far southeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in far southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- In south, northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far south. In north, variable 2 to 4 becoming southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, drizzle then fair. In north, fair then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- In south, good, occasionally moderate at first. In north, good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in northeast, moderate or rough in southwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shannon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in far northeast, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Malin
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
Issued:
Westerly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- In south, westerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 later. In north, northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- In south, rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later. in north, rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In south, squally showers. In north, rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Bailey
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming north 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming north, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- 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).
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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.
