Shipping forecast and gale warnings (2024)

Coast and sea

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The general synopsis at 0600

Low Sole 1006 expected Lundy 1007 by 0600 tomorrow. New low expected Irish Sea 1006 by same time

Issued at:.

For the periodto.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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iShipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Wind
Variable becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Utsire

Wind
Variable becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

South Utsire

Wind
Variable becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Forties

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

German Bight

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Humber

Wind
East veering southeast, then south later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good.

Thames

Wind
East veering southeast, then south later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good.

Dover

Wind
Cyclonic becoming west or southwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first, occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Wight

Wind
Cyclonic becoming west or southwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first, occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Portland

Wind
Cyclonic becoming west or southwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first, occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Wind
Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in northeast, becoming moderate later in southwest.
Weather
Occasional rain and fog patches.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Biscay

Wind
West or northwest 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first, then occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 to 4 in far southeast and later in far northeast.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight in far southeast and later also in northeast, becoming rough later in far northwest.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

FitzRoy

Wind
Cyclonic becoming north or northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
Weather
Thundery rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Gale warning

Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected imminent

Wind
Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in west, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate until later in east, otherwise rough.
Weather
Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Lundy

Wind
East or southeast becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, then northwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Wind
East or southeast becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, then northwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough in southwest.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Wind
East or southeast becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, then northwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning

Issued:

Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent

Wind
Cyclonic becoming northwest, 6 to gale 8, backing west 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall

Wind
Cyclonic becoming west later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Malin

Wind
Southeast becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, then west or northwest later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in southeast, elsewhere moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides

Wind
Southeast becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Bailey

Wind
Southeast becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in west.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor, but very poor later.

Fair Isle

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Faeroes

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Southeast Iceland

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough, occasionally very rough at first.
Weather
Occasional rain and fog patches later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.

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).

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings (2024)

FAQs

Does anyone still use the shipping forecast? ›

The programme was first broadcast on the radio on 1 January 1924, then called Weather Shipping, and from October 1925 it is broadcast by BBC. Today, although most ships have onboard technology to provide the Forecast's information, they still use it to check their data.

What is the difference between a gale warning and a wind advisory? ›

Small Craft Advisory: Winds in the range of 21 to 33 knots (24 to 38 mph) create conditions considered dangerous to small vessels. Gale Warning: Winds are in the range of 34 to 47 knots (39 to 54 mph). Storm Warning: Winds are 48 knots (55 mph) and above.

How rough will the sea be today? ›

Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later. Rough, occasionally very rough.

What does cyclonic mean in shipping forecast? ›

Becoming cyclonic

Indicates that there will be considerable change in wind direction across the path of a depression within the forecast area.

Do sailors listen to the shipping forecast? ›

Sailors know how to decode the Shipping Forecast and derive important information from it. For most citizens, though, it's not particularly helpful.

When can I listen to the shipping forecast? ›

Weather bulletins for shipping are broadcast daily on BBC Radio 4 at the following times: 0048 and 0520 (long wave and FM) 1201 and 1754 (normally long wave only)

How many mph is a gale? ›

Beaufort numberDescriptionSpeed
7Near Gale32 to 38 mph
8Gale39 to 46 mph
9Strong Gale47 to 54 mph
10Whole Gale55 to 63 mph
9 more rows

Which is stronger a gale or wind? ›

gale, wind that is stronger than a breeze; specifically a wind of 28–55 knots (50–102 km per hour) corresponding to force numbers 7 to 10 on the Beaufort scale. As issued by weather service forecasters, gale warnings occur when forecasted winds range from 34 to 47 knots (63 to 87 km per hour).

What comes after a gale warning? ›

In the event of a tropical cyclone, however, a tropical storm warning replaces both the gale warning and the storm warning. In this type of situation, the storm warning maritime flag is also used in lieu of the gale warning pennants, regardless of the intensity of the tropical storm.

What wave height is considered rough seas? ›

WMO sea state code
WMO Sea State CodeWave heightCharacteristics
41.25 to 2.5 metres (4 ft 1 in to 8 ft 2 in)Moderate
52.5 to 4 metres (8 ft 2 in to 13 ft 1 in)Rough
64 to 6 metres (13 to 20 ft)Very rough
76 to 9 metres (20 to 30 ft)High
6 more rows

What wind speed causes rough seas? ›

Sustained winds of 22 - 33 knots (Beaufort Scale 6 - 7) capable of driving seas of 10 - 18 feet. At Beaufort Scale 6, larger waves form. Spray is present with white foam crests everywhere. At Beaufort Scale 7, even larger waves form, but seas begin to heap up.

How many knots are considered rough seas? ›

Wind speed is measured in knots, which are based on nautical miles. Five-knot winds or less will be barely noticeable, and you should have calm seas and ideal boating conditions. At ten knots, the surface can become choppy, which is usually OK for inshore boating.

What does 6 mean in shipping forecast? ›

The numbers refer to the Beaufort Scale of wind strength. Imminent means within 6 hours, soon between 6 and 12, and later meaning after 12 hours.

How rough is the North sea today? ›

Sea State. In area to the north of 70 north: Moderate, occasionally rough. In rest of area: Moderate or rough, becoming moderate, occasionally slight in east.

What is a slight sea state? ›

The Douglas scale, devised in the 1920s, is used to describe sea state in forecasting and reporting: 0 Glassy calm. 0 to 0.1m Rippled calm. 0.1 to 0.5m Smooth. 0.5 to 1.25m Slight.

Why do people like the shipping forecast? ›

“That has so much more meaning behind it than just a forecast. It's iconic. “It's a history of the last 100 years of what's happened around our shores, from a weather perspective of course but also maritime safety; the two are heavily linked and it is a big part of why the Met Office even exists.”

Does Radio 4 still play Sailing by? ›

"Sailing By" is played every night on BBC Radio 4 at around 00:45hrs before the late Shipping Forecast.

Why was Finisterre changed to Fitzroy? ›

The problem is, Spain also uses the name Finisterre for a much smaller zone in the same ocean. The United Nations World Meteorological Organisation has decided this could confuse sailors and has ordered Britain to rename its Finisterre sea area.

How many times a day is the shipping forecast? ›

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.

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