Coast and sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings

The general synopsis for UK

At 191200UTC, low 53 north 39 west 1001 expected 55 north 44 west 1003 by 201200UTC. High 65 north 08 west 1032 expected 65 north 01 east 1035 by same time

Issued at: .

For the period to .

High seas forecast and storm warnings map

Sole

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Shannon

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Rockall

Wind
East or northeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate becoming slight.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Bailey

Wind
Variable becoming east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate becoming slight later.
Weather
Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Faeroes

Wind
Variable, becoming mainly east later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far north.
Weather
Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

East Northern Section

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

West Northern Section

In east

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in north, otherwise easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair at first in north, otherwise rain or showers and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

In west

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in north, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later in south.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in south and later in far west.
Weather
Fair at first in north, otherwise rain or showers and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

East Central Section

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far northwest.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in northeast.
Weather
Occasional showers, fog patches later in east.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor later in east.

West Central Section

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in west.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at times in south, fog patches in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in south and very poor in north.

Denmark Strait

In area north of 68 north

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

In rest of area

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5 at first in far east, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Iceland

In area north of 68 north

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, then northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in far west.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Occasional rain and snow, mainly in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, but poor or very poor for a time in north.

In rest of area

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers in south.
Visibility
Good.

Norwegian Basin

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for following 24 hours

Severe gales expected in West Northern Section. Gales expected in West Central Section.

Unscheduled storm warnings are broadcast via Safetynet and in bulletin WONT54 EGRR available via some internet and ftpmail outlets

The high seas forecast information

High seas forecasts are issued twice daily at 0930 and 2130 GMT and cover the next 24 hours and outlooks for the following 24 hours.

The part of the North Atlantic known as Metarea I is divided into twelve sea areas, six of which are also in the Shipping forecast.

The high seas forecast contains a general synopsis and sea-area forecasts containing forecast wind direction and force, weather and visibility for the next 24 hours with an outlook for the following 24 hours.

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.