The general synopsis at midnight
Low just west of Bailey 973 moving steadily northeast losing its identity by midnight tonight. New low expected 150 miles south of Iceland 963 by same time. New high expected alps 1024 by that time
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southerly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
North Utsire
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southerly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming poor later.
Forties
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
German Bight
- Wind
- West, backing south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Humber
- Wind
- West, backing southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Thames
- Wind
- West, backing southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Dover
- Wind
- West, backing southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Wight
- Wind
- West, backing southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Portland
- Wind
- Westerly, backing southerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Westerly, backing southerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Biscay
- Wind
- In north, westerly, backing southerly later, 4 to 6. In south, variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In north, rough or very rough. in south, rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- In north, showers. In south, fair.
- Visibility
- In north, good occasionally moderate. In south, good occasionally moderate.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Easterly gale force 8 expected later
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- In southeast, northeasterly 4 to 6, veering easterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. In northwest, northeasterly, veering southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later. in northwest, rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, fair.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good. In northwest, moderate or good.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In southeast, variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6. In northwest, southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, rough or very rough. in northwest, very rough, occasionally high at first.
- Weather
- In southeast, fair. In northwest, mainly fair.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good occasionally moderate. In northwest, good occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough, occasionally high at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- High at first in southwest, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southwesterly soon
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- High or very high.
- Weather
- Squally showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent, then backing southwesterly soon
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- High or very high.
- Weather
- Squally showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 backing southwesterly soon
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- High or very high.
- Weather
- Squally showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9, decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- West, backing south or southwest, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
- Sea state
- High or very high.
- Weather
- Squally showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent, then backing southerly soon and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West, backing south or southwest, 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Very high becoming high.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, occasionally very high.
- Weather
- Squally showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 now veered southwesterly and decreased gale force 8, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, occasionally very high.
- Weather
- Squally showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first.
- Weather
- Wintry showers, sleet later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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.
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