Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 0600

New high expected Fair Isle 1025 by 0600 tomorrow

Issued at: 10:30 (UTC) on Thu 11 Aug 2022.

For the period 12:00 (UTC) on Thu 11 Aug 2022 to 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 12 Aug 2022.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

North Utsire

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

South Utsire

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Forties

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Cromarty

Wind: South or southwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Forth

Wind: South or southwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fog patches later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.

Tyne

Wind: Southeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fog patches developing.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Dogger

Wind: Variable mainly southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Fisher

Wind: Southwest 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

German Bight

Wind: Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in south.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Humber

Wind: Southeasterly at first in northwest, otherwise easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fog patches in west.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.

Thames

Wind: East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Dover

Wind: East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Wight

Wind: East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Portland

Wind: East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Plymouth

Wind: East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Biscay

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic in south, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers in south.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor in south.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued: 23:15 (UTC) on Wed 10 Aug 2022

Wind: In southeast, westerly veering northwesterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later. In northwest, cyclonic or variable, 2 to 4.
Sea state: In southeast, smooth or slight. in northwest, moderate, occasionally slight in east.
Weather: In southeast, fair. In northwest, thundery showers.
Visibility: In southeast, mainly good. In northwest, moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Wind: Variable 2 to 4 in south, northeasterly 3 to 5 in north.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers, fog patches in south.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south.

Sole

Wind: East or northeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Lundy

Wind: East or northeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Fastnet

Wind: East or northeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in northeast, moderate in southwest.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Irish Sea

Wind: Variable 3 or less becoming north or northeast 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Shannon

Wind: Variable becoming northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming slight later in east.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Rockall

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Rain at times, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Malin

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather: Rain at times, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Hebrides

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Rain at times, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Bailey

Wind: Southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 later in northwest.
Sea state: Rough in northwest, but moderate elsewhere.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Fair Isle

Wind: Southwesterly veering northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in southwest, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state: Rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain at times, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Faeroes

Wind: West or southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Southeast Iceland

Wind: Southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, then rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

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.