Coast and sea
The general synopsis at midday
Atlantic low 988 moving slowly eastwards, expected west FitzRoy 992 by midday tomorrow. Low Sole 998 expected 200 miles southwest of Sole 995
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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Viking
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers perhaps wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Forties
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northeast 6 to gale 8, veering east 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dogger
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northeast 6 to gale 8, veering east 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
German Bight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, backing easterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Humber
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, backing easterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Thames
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In north, northeasterly 6 to gale 8, backing easterly 4 to 6 later . In south, southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly, backing northeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In north, moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later. in south, slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In north, rain. In south, showers.
- Visibility
- In north, good, occasionally poor. In south, good, occasionally poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly, backing northeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest, backing east or northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwest, backing east or northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwest, backing east or northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale now ceased but westerly gale force 8 expected later
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 at times in southeast.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 continue
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, but northeast 7 to severe gale 9 at first in north, veering east 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, but northeast 7 to severe gale 9 at first in north, veering east 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 later
- Wind
- East or northeast 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- East or northeast 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly now severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 soon
- Wind
- East or northeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northeasterly gale force 8 continuing
- Wind
- East or northeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Hebrides
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in north, backing northwesterly later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Bailey
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in north, backing northwesterly later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Northeast backing northwest later, 4 to 6, becoming variable for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Faeroes
- Wind
- Northeast backing northwest later, 4 to 6, becoming variable for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Southeast Iceland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
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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