AND NOW THE SHIPPING FORECAST ISSUED BY THE MET OFFICE, ON BEHALF OF THE MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY, AT 0505 UTC ON TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER 2015 FOR THE PERIOD 0600 UTC TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER TO 0600 UTC WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 THERE ARE WARNINGS OF GALES IN ALL AREAS EXCEPT TRAFALGAR THE GENERAL SYNOPSIS AT MIDNIGHT LOW 100 MILES WEST OF BAILEY 960 EXPECTED 150 MILES EAST OF ICELAND 947 BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THE AREA FORECASTS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS VIKING NORTH UTSIRE SOUTH UTSIRE SOUTHERLY OR SOUTHWESTERLY 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 AT TIMES. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH. RAIN FOR A TIME, THEN SQUALLY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR FORTIES CROMARTY FORTH TYNE DOGGER FISHER GERMAN BIGHT SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, DECREASING 5 AT TIMES. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY MODERATE. RAIN FOR A TIME, THEN SQUALLY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR HUMBER THAMES DOVER SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 AT TIMES. MODERATE OR ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY ROUGH. RAIN THEN SHOWERS. MODERATE OR POOR, BECOMING GOOD WIGHT PORTLAND PLYMOUTH NORTHWEST BISCAY SOUTHWESTERLY 6 TO GALE 8, DECREASING 5 AT TIMES. MODERATE OR ROUGH, BECOMING VERY ROUGH OR HIGH AT TIMES. RAIN THEN SQUALLY SHOWERS. MODERATE OR POOR, BECOMING GOOD SOUTHEAST BISCAY SOUTHERLY VEERING WESTERLY 4 OR 5, OCCASIONALLY 6 LATER. MODERATE OR ROUGH. RAIN LATER. MODERATE OR GOOD FITZROY WESTERLY OR SOUTHWESTERLY 5 TO 7, INCREASING GALE 8 AT TIMES, DECREASING 4 LATER IN FAR SOUTH. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, BECOMING HIGH IN NORTHWEST. RAIN AT TIMES. MODERATE OR GOOD SOLE LUNDY FASTNET IRISH SEA SHANNON WEST OR SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 AT TIMES. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, BECOMING HIGH IN SOLE, SOUTH FASTNET AND SHANNON. RAIN OR SQUALLY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR ROCKALL MALIN HEBRIDES SOUTHWEST 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, INCREASING STORM 10 AT TIMES EXCEPT IN MALIN. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY HIGH. THUNDERY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR BAILEY CYCLONIC GALE 8 TO STORM 10, OCCASIONALLY VIOLENT STORM 11 AT FIRST, BECOMING WEST 6 TO GALE 8. VERY ROUGH AT FIRST IN FAR NORTH, OTHERWISE HIGH OR VERY HIGH. RAIN OR THUNDERY SHOWERS. MODERATE OR POOR, BECOMING GOOD FAIR ISLE SOUTH VEERING SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 AT TIMES, PERHAPS STORM 10 LATER. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, BECOMING HIGH OR VERY HIGH. RAIN THEN THUNDERY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR FAEROES SOUTHEASTERLY VEERING SOUTHWESTERLY 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, INCREASING STORM 10 OR VIOLENT STORM 11 AT TIMES. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, BECOMING HIGH OR VERY HIGH. RAIN THEN THUNDERY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR SOUTHEAST ICELAND EASTERLY OR SOUTHEASTERLY 4 OR 5 AT FIRST IN NORTH, OTHERWISE CYCLONIC 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, INCREASING STORM 10 OR VIOLENT STORM 11 FOR A TIME IN SOUTHEAST. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, BECOMING HIGH OR VERY HIGH FOR A TIME. RAIN THEN SQUALLY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR