Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at 0600

Atlantic low expected Southeast Iceland 957 by 0600 Thursday

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Southerly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 for a time later.
Sea state
Occasionally moderate at first, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Southerly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state
Occasionally moderate at first, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Southerly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state
Occasionally moderate at first, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 7 or gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, veering west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough for a time in.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 7 or gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, veering west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough for a time in.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 7 or gale 8, veering west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 7 or gale 8, veering west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 7 or gale 8, occasionally cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 7 or gale 8, veering west 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

German Bight

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Variable 3 at first, otherwise cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Humber

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Dover

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Wight

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming south 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Portland

Wind
Southwest, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first, perhaps gale 8 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate at first, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Wind
Southwest, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first, perhaps gale 8 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Wind
Southwest, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued:

Wind
North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Southwest, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Lundy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later, but increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
Weather
Rain, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight at times, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Severe gale force 9 veering and decreasing southwesterly gale force 8 imminent

Wind
South 7 to severe gale 9, veering west or southwest, 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Very rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Storm force 10 veering westerly imminent and decreasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind
Cyclonic, 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10, becoming southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 imminent veering and decreasing southwesterly gale force 8 soon

Wind
Cyclonic, 7 to severe gale 9, becoming southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate at times in east, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Severe gale force 9 veering and increasing southwesterly storm force 10 soon

Wind
Cyclonic 7 or gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 or storm 10, becoming westerly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasional very high.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly storm force 10 expected soon, veering southwesterly violent storm force 11 later

Wind
Cyclonic 7 or gale 8, increasing 9 or storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11, becoming westerly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasional very high.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased, but southeasterly storm force 10 expected later

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southeast gale 8 to storm 10, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high later, occasionally rough in southeast.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased, but southeasterly storm force 10 expected later

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing east or southeast 8 to storm 10, becoming cyclonic later, perhaps violent storm 11 later.
Sea state
Rough, becoming very rough or high, occasionally very high.
Weather
Rain or squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased, but southeasterly storm force 10 expected later

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing east or southeast 8 to storm 10, becoming cyclonic later.
Sea state
Rough, becoming very rough or high, occasionally very high.
Weather
Rain or squally showers.
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.