Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at midnight

Low 750 miles west of Rockall 987 expected Bailey 965 by midnight tonight

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, backing southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, backing southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later, occasionally very rough later in north.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Forth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Tyne

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Dogger

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Fisher

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

German Bight

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

Humber

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

Thames

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

Dover

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

Wight

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

Portland

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog banks.
Visibility
Moderate to very poor becoming good occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Southwesterly at first in north, otherwise westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high later in northwest.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Westerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 in west.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Lundy

Wind
South or southwest, veering west later, 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Wind
South or southwest, veering west later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, then becoming high later in southwest.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Wind
South or southwest, veering west later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6 increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering west 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Very rough becoming high, then occasionally very high later in far north.
Weather
Rain or squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering westerly and increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6 increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering west gale 8 to storm 10 later, occasionally violent storm 11 later.
Sea state
Very rough becoming high, then very high later.
Weather
Rain or squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering southwesterly and increasing storm force 10 later

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, then west or northwest gale 8 to storm 10 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southerly severe gale force 9 expected soon, veering westerly and increasing storm force 10 later

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, then west or northwest gale 8 to storm 10 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon, veering northwesterly and increasing storm force 10 later

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, then west or northwest gale 8 to storm 10 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high later.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming squally.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 now veered southwesterly

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly, becoming cyclonic later, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Mainly rough or very rough, but moderate at first in southeast.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly, becoming cyclonic later, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly soon

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly, becoming cyclonic later, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 for a time, then perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Mainly rough or very rough, but high at first in west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally 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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