Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 1800

Low 550 miles west of south Shannon 1000 expected 100 miles west of Bailey 998 by 1800 Saturday

Issued at: 23:15 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021.

For the period 00:00 (UTC) on Sat 17 Apr 2021 to 00:00 (UTC) on Sun 18 Apr 2021.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Wind: In west, southerly 4 or 5. In east, variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state: In west, slight or moderate. in east, smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

North Utsire

Wind: Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

South Utsire

Wind: Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times, but becoming northeasterly 4 or 5 in east.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Forties

Wind: In east, variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times. In west, southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: In east, smooth or slight. in west, smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Cromarty

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Forth

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Tyne

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Dogger

Wind: Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Fisher

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

German Bight

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Humber

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times in west.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in east, smooth or slight in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Thames

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Dover

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Wight

Wind: In east, northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times. In west, easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in north.
Sea state: In east, slight or moderate. in west, smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Portland

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Plymouth

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Biscay

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally variable 2 later in north.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Trafalgar

Wind: Northerly 3 to 5 in west, but cyclonic 2 to 4 in east.
Sea state: Rough at first in northwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

FitzRoy

Wind: In south, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east. In north, southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 in west but easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 in east.
Sea state: In south, moderate or rough. in north, moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather: Rain in northwest, fair elsewhere.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor in northwest.

Sole

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 in west but easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 in east.
Sea state: Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather: Rain in west, fair in east.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor in west.

Lundy

Wind: Variable mainly southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Fastnet

Wind: Variable mainly southeast 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Irish Sea

Wind: Variable mainly southeast 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Shannon

Wind: Southerly 5 to 7, veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later in west.
Sea state: Moderate at first in east, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Good at first in east, otherwise moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 15:49 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southerly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times, then veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later in west.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Good at first in east, otherwise moderate or poor.

Malin

Wind: Southerly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in east, perhaps gale 8 later in northwest.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later in northwest.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate later.

Hebrides

Gale warning: Issued: 21:51 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: South 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain at times.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Gale warning: Issued: 15:49 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021

Gale now ceased, but southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: South 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather: Rain at times.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Wind: South 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Mainly moderate or rough, but occasionally very rough in far west and becoming slight at times in south.
Weather: Rain at first in west.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first in west.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 15:49 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021

Gale now ceased, but southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later in west.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 15:49 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021

Gale now ceased, but southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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).

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.