Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

Printable version

The general synopsis at midday

Low Sole 982 expected netherlands 979 by midday tomorrow

Issued at: 17:25 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026.

For the period 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 9 Jan 2026.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

Loading map…

Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming east or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Forth

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming east or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Tyne

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming east or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Dogger

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6 backing east or northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers, then rain or snow.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor.

Fisher

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6 backing east or northeast 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers, then rain or snow.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor.

German Bight

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6 backing east or northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers, then rain or snow.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor.

Humber

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6 backing east or northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers, then rain or snow.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor.

Thames

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southeasterly 5, becoming cyclonic then northwesterly 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Dover

Gale warning: Issued: 09:48 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southwesterly storm force 10 expected later

Wind: Southeasterly 5, becoming cyclonic then northwesterly 6 to gale 8, but increasing severe gale 9 or storm 10 for a time at first in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming mainly moderate or rough, but becoming very rough or high for a time at first in south.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Wight

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing violent storm force 11 imminent

Wind: Southwest veering northwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high for a time.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Portland

Gale warning: Issued: 09:48 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 imminent, increasing hurricane force 12 soon

Wind: Cyclonic storm 10 to hurricane force 12 becoming northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: High or very high becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Plymouth

Gale warning: Issued: 09:48 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing violent storm force 11 imminent, veering westerly and increasing hurricane force 12 soon

Wind: Cyclonic storm 10 to hurricane force 12 becoming northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: High or very high becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Biscay

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Storm force 10 veering westerly and decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind: West 7 to severe gale 9 veering northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Mainly very rough or high, but occasionally very high at first in far north.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued: 00:15 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

FitzRoy

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Storm force 10 veering northwesterly and decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind: West 7 to severe gale 9 veering northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Mainly very rough or high, but rough in south.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Sole

Gale warning: Issued: 17:20 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Northwesterly hurricane force 12 decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind: Northwest gale 8 to storm 10 decreasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Very high at first in east, otherwise very rough or high.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Lundy

Gale warning: Issued: 09:48 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Easterly severe gale force 9 imminent, backing northwesterly and increasing hurricane force 12 soon

Wind: Cyclonic storm 10 to hurricane force 12 becoming northwest gale 8 to storm 10, then decreasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Very rough or high, but becoming rough in north.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Fastnet

Gale warning: Issued: 17:20 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Northwesterly hurricane force 12 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: Northwest gale 8 to storm 10 decreasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Very rough or high, but becoming rough in north.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Irish Sea

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Northerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in south, backing northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Northwesterly violent storm force 11 now decreased severe gale force 9, decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind: Northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough at first in north, otherwise very rough or high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 09:48 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 in west.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming high later in west.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning: Issued: 09:48 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind: Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 in west.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 03:50 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Southeasterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind: Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 in south.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 15:52 (UTC) on Thu 8 Jan 2026

Northeasterly storm force 10 decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly mainly 6 to gale 8, but severe gale 9 at first in west.
Sea state: High at first in west, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or 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.