Coast and sea

High seas forecast and storm warnings

The general synopsis for UK

At 050000UTC, low 63 north 33 west 996 expected 64 north 33 west 995 by 060000UTC. Low 41 north 43 west 1004 expected 41 north 40 west 998 by same time. Low Sole 1003 expected Plymouth 1002 by that time.

Issued at: 08:00 (UTC) on Sun 5 May 2024.

For the period 08:00 (UTC) on Sun 5 May 2024 to 08:00 (UTC) on Mon 6 May 2024.

High seas forecast and storm warnings map

High seas forecast and storm warnings explained

Sole

Wind: Cyclonic becoming northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain or thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Wind: Northerly 5 or 6 at first in far southeast, otherwise variable 2 to 4 becoming northerly 4 or 5.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Rockall

Wind: Variable 2 to 4 becoming north 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers or fog patches, becoming mainly fair later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Bailey

Wind: West or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Faeroes

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers with fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Southeast Iceland

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers with fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

East Northern Section

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 to 4 in far southeast.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Wintry showers in northwest, mainly fair in southeast.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor in northwest.

West Northern Section

Wind: Cyclonic, but mainly westerly or southwesterly in south, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in far north.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Sleet or snow showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor. Occasional light icing in far northwest at first.

East Central Section

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeast 5 or 6 later in far southwest.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
Weather: Rain or drizzle at times, becoming mainly fair in west.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

West Central Section

Wind: Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far north.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far southwest.
Weather: Occasional rain, becoming heavy and thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Denmark Strait

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first near the ice edge, but cyclonic 4 to 6 in southeast.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Occasional sleet or snow, fog patches in east.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor. Light or moderate icing at first near the ice edge with temperatures here of ms02 to ms04.

North Iceland

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly veering southeasterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in far west.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Occasional sleet or snow, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate, occasionally very poor. Occasional light icing at first near the ice edge with temperatures of ms02 to ms04.

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic in west.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Occasional rain with fog banks.
Visibility: Moderate, occasionally very poor.

Norwegian Basin

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6 in north, but variable 2 to 4 in south.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair in northeast, elsewhere drizzle at times with fog patches at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor except in northeast.

Outlook for following 24 hours

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.