Coast and sea
The general synopsis at midnight
Atlantic low moving rapidly northeast expected 350 miles west of Bailey 954 by midnight tonight
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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Viking
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- In east, southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5. In west, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- In east, moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later. in west, slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- In east, occasional rain. In west, fair.
- Visibility
- In east, good, occasionally poor. In west, good.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Forth
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Tyne
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Dogger
- Wind
- In west, southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. In east, southerly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- In west, fair. In east, occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- In west, good. In east, moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Fisher
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
German Bight
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Humber
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Thames
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Dover
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Wight
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Portland
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Plymouth
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Biscay
- Wind
- In north, southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 to 7 later. In south, westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- In north, showers. In south, showers.
- Visibility
- In north, good, occasionally poor. In south, good.
Trafalgar
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in far southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- In southeast, cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. In northwest, westerly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- In southeast, very rough, becoming mainly rough later. in northwest, very rough occasionally high.
- Weather
- In southeast, thundery showers at first. In northwest, showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- In southeast, good, occasionally poor at first. In northwest, good, occasionally poor.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing 7 or gale 8 later, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough occasionally high.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 7 or gale 8 later, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 6 to gale 8, increasing gale 8 or severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 backing southerly and increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 6 to gale 8, increasing gale 8 or severe gale 9 later, occasionally storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 backing southeasterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, backing southeast 7 to severe gale 9 later, perhaps storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in east, otherwise very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 backing southeasterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, backing southeast 7 to severe gale 9 later, perhaps storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 backing southeasterly and increasing storm force 10 later
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, backing southeast gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Fair Isle
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering southwesterly soon
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southeasterly later, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- In southeast, moderate or rough occasionally very rough, but elsewhere, very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Severe gale force 9 veering southwesterly and decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southeasterly later, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9, decreasing gale force 8 imminent
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southeasterly later, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally 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.
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