Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at midnight

Low 150 miles west of Sole 970 expected Scotland 989 by midnight tonight

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest backing southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwesterly backing southeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwesterly backing southeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

German Bight

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Humber

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Thames

Wind
Southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 5 or 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Dover

Wind
Southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 5 or 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Wight

Wind
Southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 5 or 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Portland

Wind
South veering southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Plymouth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South veering southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Biscay

Wind
South 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in southeast, rough or very rough in northwest.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, but easterly 5 or 6 near strait of gibraltar.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

FitzRoy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly storm force 10, decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent, then decreasing gale force 8 soon

Wind
Southwesterly 5 to 7, but gale 8 to storm 10 at first in north, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in south.
Sea state
Very rough or high in northwest, rough or very rough in southeast.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 expected soon, veering westerly and increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind
West or southwest severe gale 9 to violent storm 11, decreasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Poor, becoming moderate or good.

Lundy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering southwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
South 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time in west.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, becoming good later.

Fastnet

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 expected soon, veering southwesterly and increasing storm force 10 later

Wind
South 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, becoming good later.

Irish Sea

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 imminent, veering southerly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind
South 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, becoming good later.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 imminent, veering westerly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind
Cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, becoming west or southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first in south.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Poor, becoming moderate or good.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Easterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
East 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough, occasionally very rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased, but easterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
East 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough, occasionally very rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Easterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest backing southeast 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind
Southwest backing southeast, becoming cyclonic later, 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest backing southeast, becoming cyclonic later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming east 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Rough, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming easterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Rough, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
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.

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.