The general synopsis at midday
Low Fastnet 1011 losing its identity
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
Viking
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dogger
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southeast becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Variable 4 at first in east, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Variable 4 at first in east, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 continuing
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 or 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering northerly imminent
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, backing southwesterly 4 to 6 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- In west, northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, backing southwesterly 4 to 6. In east, northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In west, showers. In east, occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later, backing southwesterly later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing south 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest, 4 to 6, then south 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, backing south or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, backing south or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Wintry showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Wintry showers then rain.
- Visibility
- 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.
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.