AND NOW THE SHIPPING FORECAST ISSUED BY THE MET OFFICE, ON BEHALF OF THE MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY, AT 0505 UTC ON WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 FOR THE PERIOD 0600 UTC WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER TO 0600 UTC THURSDAY 24 DECEMBER 2015 THERE ARE WARNINGS OF GALES IN ALL AREAS EXCEPT TRAFALGAR THE GENERAL SYNOPSIS AT MIDNIGHT LOW JUST EAST OF ICELAND 951 EXPECTED NORWEGIAN BASIN 969 BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. DEVELOPING LOW MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST, EXPECTED ROCKALL 965 BY SAME TIME THE AREA FORECASTS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS VIKING NORTH UTSIRE SOUTH UTSIRE FORTIES SOUTHWESTERLY 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9. VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY HIGH. SQUALLY SHOWERS. MODERATE OR GOOD CROMARTY FORTH TYNE DOGGER FISHER NORTH GERMAN BIGHT SOUTHWESTERLY 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH. SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SOUTH GERMAN BIGHT HUMBER THAMES DOVER WIGHT PORTLAND SOUTHWESTERLY 6 TO GALE 8. MODERATE OR ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY ROUGH IN PORTLAND. SHOWERS. GOOD PLYMOUTH SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, OCCASIONALLY SEVERE GALE 9 LATER. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY HIGH IN FAR WEST. SHOWERS, RAIN LATER. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR LATER BISCAY VARIABLE 3 OR 4 IN SOUTHEAST, OTHERWISE SOUTHWESTERLY 5 TO 7, OCCASIONALLY GALE 8 LATER. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY HIGH IN FAR NORTHWEST. OCCASIONAL RAIN. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY MODERATE FITZROY VARIABLE 3 OR 4 AT FIRST IN FAR SOUTHEAST, OTHERWISE SOUTHWESTERLY 5 OR 6, INCREASING 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH. RAIN OR SHOWERS IN NORTHWEST. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SOLE SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 OR STORM 10 FOR A TIME. HIGH. RAIN OR SHOWERS. MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY POOR LUNDY FASTNET IRISH SEA SOUTHWEST 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, OCCASIONALLY STORM 10 LATER. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH IN FASTNET, OTHERWISE ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY HIGH LATER. SHOWERS, RAIN LATER. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR SHANNON SOUTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 OR STORM 10 FOR A TIME. HIGH. RAIN OR SHOWERS. MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY POOR ROCKALL SOUTHWEST 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, BECOMING CYCLONIC GALE 8 TO STORM 10, PERHAPS VIOLENT STORM 11 LATER. HIGH OR VERY HIGH. RAIN OR SHOWERS. MODERATE OR POOR MALIN HEBRIDES SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, OCCASIONALLY STORM 10 LATER. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY HIGH LATER. RAIN OR SHOWERS. MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY POOR BAILEY WEST 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, BACKING SOUTH 5 OR 6, BECOMING CYCLONIC 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9 PERHAPS STORM 10 LATER. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH. RAIN OR SHOWERS. MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY POOR FAIR ISLE FAEROES SOUTHWEST, BACKING SOUTHEAST LATER, 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH. RAIN OR SQUALLY SHOWERS. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR SOUTHEAST ICELAND WESTERLY 6 TO GALE 8, OCCASIONALLY SEVERE GALE 9 AT FIRST, BACKING NORTHEASTERLY LATER. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH. RAIN OR SHOWERS. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR