Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at 1800

Low Faeroes 998 losing its identity

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Storm force 10 backing westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Westerly violent storm force 11 decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent, decreasing gale force 8 soon

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Violent storm force 11 backing westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Cromarty

Wind
West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, backing southeast later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Forth

Wind
West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, backing southeast later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Tyne

Wind
West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, backing southeast later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Dogger

Wind
West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, backing southeast later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Fisher

Gale warning
Issued:

Westerly violent storm force 11 decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent, decreasing gale force 8 soon

Wind
West or northwest 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming mainly moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

German Bight

Wind
West or northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming mainly moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Humber

Wind
Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Rough at first in northeast, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming mainly slight later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Thames

Wind
Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming mainly slight later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Dover

Wind
Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming mainly slight later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Wight

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Portland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Plymouth

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Biscay

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Trafalgar

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but 6 or 7 in far southeast, veering westerly or southwesterly later in west.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Variable 3 or less at first in southeast, otherwise southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 for a time in west.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Lundy

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first, and perhaps 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Fastnet

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first, and perhaps 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Irish Sea

Wind
Southwest at first, otherwise southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first, and perhaps 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southeast 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 backing southeasterly soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Southeast 6 to gale 8, occasional severe gale 9 until later, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
West or southwest 4 to 6, backing southeast 6 to gale 8, veering southerly 6 or 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high later.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon

Wind
West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing southeast 6 to gale 8, veering southerly 6 or 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high later.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 backing southeasterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Variable 3 or 4, becoming southeast 7 to severe gale 9, veering south 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly storm force 10 now decreased severe gale force 9, backing westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in south, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6, veering southeast 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southeasterly storm force 10 expected later

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6, veering southeast 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 later in.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather
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.