The general synopsis at midnight
Low Rockall 967 expected 100 miles west of Shannon 973 by midnight tonight. New low expected northwest Hebrides 977 by same time. Lows Tyne 972 and Shannon 971 losing their identities
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east and 4 in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- In east, southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times. In west, cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- In east, rain or showers. In west, showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming southerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7 backing south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming westerly or southwesterly later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in far south and 4 elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in east, very rough throughout in west.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7 backing south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough, becoming rough except in northwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Very rough, becoming rough in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in far south, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5 increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing northeasterly imminent
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8 until later in northwest, otherwise cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8 until later in northwest, otherwise cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but becoming high for a time in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Northeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8 at first in northwest, otherwise southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in southeast, rough or very rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly severe gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- In southeast, northeasterly 6 to gale 8 veering southeasterly 4 to 6. In northwest, northeasterly 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- In southeast, rough or very rough, becoming high for a time. in northwest, rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- In southeast, rain or showers. In northwest, sleet or snow at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Northeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Sleet or snow at times.
- 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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