Coast and sea
The general synopsis at midday
Low Trafalgar 999 expected Portugal 1015 by midday Thursday. Low Malin 1003 loses its identity.
Issued at: .
For the period to .
Shipping forecast and gale warnings map
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Viking
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
South Utsire
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, occasionally easterly 5, becoming mainly southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forties
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly southerly 3 to 5, later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Cromarty
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, occasionally, becoming mainly southerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Forth
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly southerly 3 to 5, later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Tyne
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming mainly southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dogger
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming mainly southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Fisher
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming mainly southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
German Bight
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming mainly southwest 4 to 6 later, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Humber
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Thames
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Dover
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Wight
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Portland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later, occasionally severe gale 9 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Plymouth
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later, occasionally severe gale 9 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Biscay
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, then backing southwesterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Trafalgar
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Gale force 8 veering northerly soon
Forecast issued:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in west, becoming southwesterly 4 or 5 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
FitzRoy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Northerly gale force 8, backing southwesterly severe gale force 9 later
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5 in north, but 6 to gale 8 in south, backing southwesterly, 4 to 6 later, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in south and later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Sole
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing west 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lundy
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later, veering west 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Fastnet
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later, veering west 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Irish Sea
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later, veering west 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shannon
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Westerly severe gale 9 expected later
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing west 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough, occasionally high later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rockall
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Malin
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southerly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Hebrides
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Bailey
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly severe gale force 9 expected later
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Fair Isle
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Faeroes
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Southeast Iceland
- Gale warning
-
Issued:
Southeasterly gale force 8 expected later
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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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