Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 1800

New low expected Southeast Iceland 968 by 1800 Saturday

Issued at: 23:30 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025.

For the period 00:00 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025 to 00:00 (UTC) on Sun 14 Dec 2025.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Wind: Southerly veering westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then becoming very rough later in north.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Cromarty

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in east.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Forth

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Tyne

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southwest 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Dogger

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southwest 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Fisher

Wind: South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Occasional rain at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

German Bight

Wind: South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Occasional rain at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Humber

Wind: West or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Thames

Wind: Cyclonic 4 or 5 becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Dover

Wind: Variable 3 or less becoming southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Wight

Wind: Variable 3 or less becoming southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Portland

Wind: Variable 3 or less becoming southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Plymouth

Wind: Variable 3 or less becoming southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 later in northwest.
Sea state: Very rough becoming rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Biscay

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Very rough, becoming rough later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Trafalgar

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Northerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

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

Wind: In southeast, northeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later. In northwest, southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 in far northwest.
Sea state: Very rough, becoming rough later except in far northwest.
Weather: In southeast, showers. In northwest, mainly fair.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Sole

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwest 3 to 5 increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Lundy

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwest 3 to 5 increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough in west, but in east, slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Fastnet

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwest 3 to 5 increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Irish Sea

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwest 3 to 5 increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Shannon

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in north and west.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 10:05 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning: Issued: 10:05 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, veering southwesterly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Bailey

Gale warning: Issued: 21:56 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent, backing southerly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Very high at first in north, otherwise very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough in southeast, very rough or high in northwest.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor, occasionally good in southeast.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Fri 12 Dec 2025

Southerly gale force 8 veering southwesterly soon and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 03:44 (UTC) on Sat 13 Dec 2025

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing storm force 10 later

Wind: Southwesterly 7 to severe gale 9 becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming southwesterly 7 to severe gale 9 again later in south.
Sea state: High or very high becoming very rough or high, but becoming rough near the coast.
Weather: Squally thundery showers, then rain.
Visibility: Poor, occasionally moderate.

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.