Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at midday

Low just west of Bailey 972 expected 400 miles northeast of Iceland 958 by midday Sunday

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected soon

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in north.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 expected soon

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 expected soon

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

German Bight

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

Humber

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

Thames

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate occasionally smooth at first.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Dover

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate occasionally smooth at first.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Wight

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate occasionally smooth at first.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Portland

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Plymouth

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Biscay

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Trafalgar

Gale warning
Issued:

Northerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Forecast issued:

Wind
Northerly 7 to severe gale 9 at first in west, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 in far southeast.
Sea state
High at first in west, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

FitzRoy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
In southeast, northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 4 or 5 later. In northwest, southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time later.
Sea state
In southeast, rough. in northwest, rough or very rough.
Weather
In southeast, fair. In northwest, occasional rain.
Visibility
In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lundy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, veering west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally rough.
Weather
Squally rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 continuing, decreasing gale force 8 soon

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, veering west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally rough.
Weather
Squally rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 continuing, decreasing gale force 8 soon

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, veering west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally rough.
Weather
Squally rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly storm force 10 veering and decreasing southwesterly severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind
South or southwest 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 until later, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high.
Weather
Rain then squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind
South or southwest 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 until later, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high.
Weather
Rain then squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly storm force 10 veering and decreasing southwesterly severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind
South or southwest 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 until later, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough in southeast, but elsewhere very rough or high.
Weather
Rain then squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwest severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind
South or southwest 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high.
Weather
Rain then squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 later

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing gale 8 to storm 10, becoming southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, but becoming rough for a time near the coast.
Weather
Rain then wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or 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.