Coast and sea
The general synopsis at midnight
Low Germany 1000 expected south Baltic sea 1001 by midnight tonight. New low expected Thames 1013
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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Viking
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, backing northerly or northwesterly 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, backing northerly or northwesterly 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, backing northerly or northwesterly 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 continue
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough, then slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 continue
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough, then slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 continue
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough, then slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- North, becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Wind
- North, becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
FitzRoy
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Sole
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lundy
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, occasionally wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, occasionally wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, occasionally wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then southwesterly 5 to 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then southwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then southwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4, becoming west or southwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- North, backing west or southwest later, 7 or gale 8 decreasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic, but northerly at first, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate 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.
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.