Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

The general synopsis at midnight

New low in north sea moving northwards, expected central Sweden 974 by midnight tonight

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but northwesterly severe gale force 9 expected soon

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
Weather
Rain or wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
Weather
Rain or wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high.
Weather
Rain or wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough, but very rough or high for a time.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale now ceased but northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon, veering northwesterly later

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain, then squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough, becoming very rough or high.
Weather
Rain, then squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

German Bight

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Cyclonic at first, otherwise northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain, then squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Humber

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Dover

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Wight

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 now veered westerly

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Portland

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 now veered westerly

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 now veered westerly

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale 8 continuing

Wind
Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first in south and high at first in northwest.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Trafalgar

Gale warning
Issued:

Easterly gale force 8 continuing

Forecast issued:

Wind
Cyclonic, mainly northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in southeast.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough except in southeast.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

FitzRoy

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 veering northeasterly soon

Wind
In south, northeasterly 5 to 7, increasing 7 or gale 8 later in southeast. In north, northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in northeast, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
In south, moderate or good. In north, good.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Lundy

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 veering westerly imminent, veering northwesterly soon

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
High, becoming very rough.
Weather
Squally wintry showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
High, becoming very rough.
Weather
Squally wintry showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
High, occasionally very rough, becoming very rough, occasionally rough in east.
Weather
Squally wintry showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent, veering northwesterly soon

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, becoming very rough later.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Westerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent, veering northwesterly soon

Wind
North or northwest 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Squally showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally rough in east.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Very rough or hig.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Northerly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
In west, northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later. In east, easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, veering southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
In west, very rough or high. in east, very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
In west, squally wintry showers. In east, wintry showers.
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.