The general synopsis at 1800
New low expected Dogger 995 by 1800 Saturday
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 veering northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 veering northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 veering northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 again later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 again later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 again later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 again later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 again later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Plymouth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Biscay
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwest, veering northwest later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming northwesterly 3 to 5, veering northerly 5 to 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Thundery rain developing.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northwesterly mainly 4 to 6, but 6 to gale 8 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lundy
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Fastnet
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough in north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but northerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then north 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- West veering north or northwest, 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Rockall
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 in west.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough, then becoming moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering northwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8 veering north 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8 veering north 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- Northerly 6 to gale 8 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- High at first in far east, otherwise rough or very rough, but becoming moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very 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.
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