High seas forecast and storm warnings

Storm warnings

• Storm warnings have been issued for the areas coloured in red on the map below
• Click on an area to see the high seas forecast and any storm warnings for that area

Updated: 2001 on Fri 20 Nov 2009

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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You are using a mobile device. Below are the text versions of the high seas forecast storm warnings.

The high seas forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2000

There are storm warnings in East Central Section, Denmark Strait, West Central Section, West Northern Section.

The General synopsis

At 201200UTC, low 52 north 30 west 976 expected 55 north 19 west 961 by 211200UTC. Low 64 north 19 west 969 expected 69 north 01 west 987 by same time. New low expected 70 north 13 east 976 by that time

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours from Friday 20 November 2009 at 2000

Sole

Wind:

Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later.

Sea State:

Very rough or high.

Weather:

Rain or squally showers.

Visibility:

Moderate or poor.

Shannon

Wind:

South or southwest, backing southeast for a time, 5 or 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later.

Sea State:

Rough or very rough, becoming high later.

Weather:

Rain or showers.

Visibility:

Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Wind:

South or southwest backing east or southeast for a time, 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.

Sea State:

Rough or very rough.

Weather:

Rain or showers.

Visibility:

Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind:

Southwesterly, backing easterly or southeasterly later, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, but decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.

Sea State:

Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.

Weather:

Rain or showers.

Visibility:

Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind:

Southwesterly, backing easterly or southeasterly later, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.

Sea State:

Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.

Weather:

Rain or showers.

Visibility:

Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Wind:

Southwesterly, backing easterly or southeasterly later, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.

Sea State:

Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.

Weather:

Rain or showers.

Visibility:

Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

East Northern Section

 in north

Wind:

Cyclonic becoming easterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times.

Sea State:

very rough or high, occasionally rough.

Weather:

rain or showers, squally at times, then fair.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally good.

East Northern Section

 in south

Wind:

Southerly or southeasterly becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 or 6 at times.

Sea State:

rough or very rough, occasionally high.

Weather:

occasional rain and drizzle, showers later in southeast, squally at times.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally good.

West Northern Section

 in north

Wind:

Easterly or northeasterly 6 to gale 8, increasing gale 8 to storm 10 later in far northwest, decreasing 5 at times.

Sea State:

very rough or high, occasionally rough.

Weather:

occasional rain, with snow in far northwest.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally very poor in far northwest. light or moderate icing in far northwest.

West Northern Section

 in south

Wind:

Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first, backing westerly or northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9.

Sea State:

rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.

Weather:

occasional rain or squally showers, wintry at times.

Visibility:

moderate or good, occasionally poor.

East Central Section

 in northeast

Wind:

Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11 later.

Sea State:

rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.

Weather:

occasional rain and showers, squally at times.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally good.

East Central Section

 in southwest

Wind:

Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering northwesterly gale 8 to storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11 later in west.

Sea State:

very rough becoming very high.

Weather:

rain and squally showers.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally good at first.

West Central Section

Wind:

Cyclonic at first in northeast, otherwise westerly or northwesterly, 7 to severe gale 9, increasing storm 10 at times in east, decreasing 6 at times.

Sea State:

very rough or high, occasionally very high in south and east.

Weather:

rain or squally showers.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Denmark Strait

Wind:

Northerly or northeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 in far west later, decreasing 6 at times.

Sea State:

very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.

Weather:

occasional snow, with rain and sleet at times in south and east.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally very poor. moderate occasionally severe icing in west with temperatures ms02 to ms04, but severe occasionally very severe icing in northeast with temperatures ms05 to ms08.

North Iceland

 in northwest

Wind:

Northerly 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 6 or 7.

Sea State:

very rough or high becoming rough.

Weather:

occasional rain and sleet, with snow in far northwest.

Visibility:

moderate or poor, occasionally very poor in far northwest. moderate or severe icing in far northwest with temperatures ms03 to ms06.

North Iceland

 in southeast

Wind:

Cyclonic 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6, becoming northerly later.

Sea State:

rough or very rough, occasionally high in far southeast.

Weather:

occasional rain.

Visibility:

moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Norwegian Basin

 in north

Wind:

Cyclonic 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.

Sea State:

rough or very rough.

Weather:

occasional rain or showers.

Visibility:

moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Norwegian Basin

 in south

Wind:

Southerly or southwesterly, veering westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times, decreasing 4 at times.

Sea State:

very rough or high.

Weather:

occasional rain or showers then fair.

Visibility:

moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Sea area gale warnings, issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Last updated on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2348.

All gale warnings currently in force

Portland, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 expected soon

Plymouth, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Biscay, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Trafalgar, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Fitzroy, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 soon

Sole, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 soon

Lundy, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 1546
     Southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Fastnet, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 imminent, increasing storm force 10 soon

Irish Sea, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 1546
     Southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Shannon, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southerly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 soon

Rockall, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 0948
     Easterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Malin, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 0948
     Easterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Hebrides, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Easterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Bailey, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8, backing easterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Fair Isle, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 0948
     Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon

Faeroes, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 0346
     Gale force 8 veering southwesterly imminent

Southeast Iceland, issued on Friday 20 November 2009 at 2157
     Southwesterly severe gale force 9 continuing