Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at midday

Low Faeroes 963 expected Viking 970 by midday tomorrow. Low Southeast Iceland 962 losing its identity

Issued at: 17:25 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024.

For the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024 to 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 22 Dec 2024.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, increasing storm force 10 soon

Wind: Cyclonic 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first, decreasing 5 or 6 for a time in north.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

North Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 21:53 (UTC) on Fri 20 Dec 2024

Southwesterly severe gale force 9 expected later

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate, occasionally poor.

South Utsire

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Southwesterly gale force 8 continuing

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate, occasionally poor.

Forties

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly soon, then veering northwesterly later

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later.
Sea state: Very rough or high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly soon, then veering northwesterly later

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough occasionally moderate.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Forth

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly soon, then veering northwesterly later

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Rough or very rough occasionally moderate.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Westerly gale force 8 veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Dogger

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Westerly gale force 8 veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fisher

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering westerly soon

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high in northwest.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

German Bight

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering westerly soon

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Humber

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering westerly soon

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Thames

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering westerly soon

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Dover

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering westerly soon

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Wight

Gale warning: Issued: 09:49 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering westerly soon

Wind: Southwest veering west, then northwest later, 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Portland

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high later.
Weather: Rain then squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Plymouth

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 soon

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Rough or very rough occasionally high.
Weather: Rain then squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8.
Sea state: Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Trafalgar

Forecast issued: 00:15 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Wind: Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southeast.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

FitzRoy

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Northwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 except in south.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first in south, becoming very rough or high in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Westerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Very rough becoming high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Lundy

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Westerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Rough or very rough occasionally high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Fastnet

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Westerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state: Rough or very rough occasionally high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Westerly gale force 8 expected imminent, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later in north.
Sea state: Moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Gale force 8 now veered westerly, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 imminent

Wind: Northwest 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Rockall

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Storm force 10 now veered westerly, veering northwesterly later

Wind: West veering northwest, gale 8 to storm 10, decreasing 7 later.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Malin

Gale warning: Issued: 03:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Severe gale force 9 veering westerly imminent, veering northwesterly and increasing storm force 10 later

Wind: West veering northwest, gale 8 to storm 10.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Hebrides

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Violent storm force 11 veering northwesterly and decreasing storm force 10 imminent

Wind: West veering northwest, gale 8 to storm 10.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Bailey

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Violent storm force 11 veering northwesterly and decreasing storm force 10 imminent

Wind: West veering northwest, gale 8 to storm 10, decreasing 7 later.
Sea state: High or very high.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Fair Isle

Gale warning: Issued: 21:53 (UTC) on Fri 20 Dec 2024

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected imminent, increasing severe gale force 9 soon, veering westerly and increasing violent storm force 11 later

Wind: Cyclonic becoming northwesterly, gale 8 to storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11 at first.
Sea state: Very rough or high occasionally very high.
Weather: Rain or squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor.

Faeroes

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Violent storm force 11 veering northwesterly and decreasing storm force 10 imminent

Wind: In southwest, cyclonic becoming northwesterly, gale 8 to storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11 at first. In northeast, cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming northerly 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: In southwest, very rough or high occasionally very high. in northeast, very rough or high, occasionally very high at first in east.
Weather: In southwest, rain or squally wintry showers. In northeast, rain or squally wintry showers.
Visibility: In southwest, moderate or poor. In northeast, moderate or poor.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 15:46 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

Northwesterly severe gale force 9 continuing

Wind: Cyclonic, mainly northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 until later.
Sea state: Very rough or high, occasionally rough in northwest.
Weather: Squally wintry showers.
Visibility: Moderate or 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.