Coast and sea

Shipping forecast and gale warnings

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The general synopsis at 1800

High southeast Malin 1037 expected Germany 1033 by 1800 Thursday

Issued at: 23:30 (UTC) on Wed 11 Dec 2024.

For the period 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 12 Dec 2024 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Dec 2024.

Shipping forecast and gale warnings map

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Shipping forecast and gale warnings explained

Viking

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fog patches until later, occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

North Utsire

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

South Utsire

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fog patches until later, occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

Forties

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fog patches until later, occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

Cromarty

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Forth

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Tyne

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Dogger

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle, fog patches in east.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in east.

Fisher

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

German Bight

Wind: North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Humber

Wind: North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Thames

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Dover

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Wight

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

Portland

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

Plymouth

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

Biscay

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

Trafalgar

Wind: Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

FitzRoy

Wind: East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, becoming thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Sole

Wind: East or northeast, becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Lundy

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

Fastnet

Wind: East 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in west.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Irish Sea

Wind: East or southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional drizzle later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Shannon

Wind: Easterly 3 to 5 in south, variable 2 to 4 in north.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather: Showers in south.
Visibility: Good.

Rockall

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in northwest, becoming cyclonic later in northwest.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Fair then occasional rain in northwest.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later in northwest.

Malin

Wind: South or southwest 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later , occasionally very rough later in far northwest.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Hebrides

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather: Rain later in northwest.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate later in northwest.

Bailey

Wind: Southerly veering southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times in north and west.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high in far northwest.
Weather: Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Fair Isle

Wind: West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate at first, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Faeroes

Wind: West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
Weather: Occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Southeast Iceland

Gale warning: Issued: 21:52 (UTC) on Wed 11 Dec 2024

Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later

Wind: Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
Weather: Occasional rain then 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.