Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at midday

Developing Atlantic low moving steadily northeastwards, expected Faeroes 962 by midday tomorrow

Issued at: .

For the period to .

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning
Issued:

Severe gale force 9 backing southeasterly and increasing storm force 10 imminent, increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind
Southeasterly gale 8 to storm 10, increasing violent storm 11 at times.
Sea state
Very rough or high, but becoming very high for a time in north.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, increasing storm force 10 soon, increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind
Southeasterly gale 8 to storm 10, increasing violent storm 11 at times.
Sea state
Very rough or high.
Weather
Rain then snow.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly severe gale force 9 increasing storm force 10 imminent, increasing violent storm force 11 soon

Wind
Southeasterly gale 8 to storm 10, increasing violent storm 11 at times.
Sea state
Very rough or high in west, rough or very rough in east.
Weather
Rain then snow.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.

Forties

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 increasing storm force 10 imminent

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first in northeast, then veering southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
High until later in north, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor becoming moderate or good.

Cromarty

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 veering southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor becoming moderate or good.

Forth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 veering southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor becoming moderate or good.

Tyne

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 veering southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor becoming moderate or good.

Dogger

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 veering southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor becoming moderate or good.

Fisher

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 imminent, backing southeasterly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind
South or southeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first and 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming very rough for a time in west.
Weather
Rain or snow.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

German Bight

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 imminent, backing southeasterly soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
South or southeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first and 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming very rough for a time in west.
Weather
Rain or snow.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Humber

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in north, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough at first in north, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Dover

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected later

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Wight

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Portland

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly imminent

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough in northwest, moderate or rough in southeast.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Forecast issued:

Wind
Variable 3 or less in southeast, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in northwest.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in far southeast, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

FitzRoy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in southeast, decreasing 4 to 6 in northwest.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Lundy

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
South veering southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, then decreasing 5 at times.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Fastnet

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly gale force 8 expected imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
South veering southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, then decreasing 5 at times.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Irish Sea

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind
South veering southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, then decreasing 5 at times.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Shannon

Gale warning
Issued:

Gale force 8 veering southwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind
Southwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first in northeast, then decreasing 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough, occasionally high at first in northeast.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning
Issued:

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 increasing violent storm force 11 imminent

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming southwesterly severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 for a time in east.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8, veering southwesterly and increasing violent storm force 11 soon

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming southwesterly severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 for a time.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning
Issued:

Southerly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8, veering southwesterly and increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming southwesterly severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 for a time.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Bailey

Gale warning
Issued:

Severe gale force 9 backing northerly soon

Wind
Cyclonic becoming northwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 at times.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning
Issued:

Storm force 10 backing southeasterly imminent

Wind
Southeast, veering southwest later, 7 to severe gale 9, increasing storm 10 at times.
Sea state
Rough or very rough until later in west, otherwise very rough or high.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Moderate or poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning
Issued:

Southeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first and severe gale 9 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather
Rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning
Issued:

Northeasterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon, then storm force 10 later

Wind
Northeasterly backing northerly 7 to severe gale 9, increasing storm 10 at times.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
Weather
Rain or snow.
Visibility
Moderate to very 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.