The Shipping Forecast — Text
Live • fetched from the Met Office • Southampton is in sea area “Wight”
Valid from 06:00 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 until 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 • Issued 05:05 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 • Cached 06:03
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Sea Area Wight (covers the Solent & Southampton Water)
Forecast group: Wight, Portland, Plymouth
Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in Plymouth. Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in Plymouth. Showers. Good
The Shipping Forecast is issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, four times a day, and covers the seas around the British Isles. It has four parts: any gale warnings in force, the general synopsis (where the weather systems are and where they’re heading), the sea area forecasts for the next 24 hours (wind, sea state, weather, visibility), and — on the radio broadcast only, not in this online text — coastal station reports at 0048 and 0535. Southampton and the Solent fall within sea area “Wight”, highlighted above.
General Synopsis
Low Viking 990 expected Sweden 980 by midnight tonight. Low west FitzRoy 986 expected southeast FitzRoy 998 by same time
Gale Warnings In Force
| Area | Issued | Warning |
| Viking | 21:53 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| North Utsire | 15:50 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale 8 expected later |
| South Utsire | 15:50 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale 8 expected later |
| Forties | 21:53 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent |
| Cromarty | 21:53 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent |
| Forth | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| Dogger | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent |
| Fisher | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent |
| German Bight | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent |
| FitzRoy | 21:53 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Westerly gale force 8 expected later |
| Sole | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northeasterly gale force 8 continuing |
| Fair Isle | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent |
| Faeroes | 15:50 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent |
All Sea Area Forecasts (Next 24 Hours)
| Viking, North Utsire | Northerly 5 to 7, backing northwesterly 6 to gale 8. Moderate or rough at first in North Utsire, otherwise rough or very rough. Thundery wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| South Utsire | Cyclonic becoming northwesterly, 6 to gale 8. Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate at first in northeast and high later in west. Thundery wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Forties, Cromarty, Forth | Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later except in Forties. Rough or very rough in Forties, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in east and slight later in west. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber | Northwest 6 to gale 8, but 5 to 7 in Tyne and Humber. Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high in Fisher. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Thames, Dover | North or northeast 4 to 6, backing northwest later in Thames. Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then rough in northeast Thames. Showers. Good |
| Wight, Portland, Plymouth | Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in Plymouth. Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in Plymouth. Showers. Good |
| Biscay, FitzRoy | Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south FitzRoy. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in FitzRoy. Thundery rain. Good, occasionally poor |
| Trafalgar (issued 00:15 UTC) | Cyclonic, mainly west, 5 to 7. Rough or very rough. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor. |
| Sole | Northeast 6 to gale 8, veering east 4 or 5. Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Rain then showers. Good, occasionally poor at first |
| Lundy, Fastnet | Northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in Fastnet. In east Lundy slight becoming smooth, elsewhere moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate. Showers at first. Good |
| Irish Sea | North or northeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later. Showers. Good |
| Shannon | Northeast 6 or 7, veering east 3 to 5. Rough, occasionally very rough at first in southwest and moderate in northeast. Showers. Good |
| Rockall, Malin | Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6 backing westerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less in south Rockall. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in northeast Rockall and slight in east Malin. Showers. Good |
| Hebrides, Bailey | North backing west, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in Hebrides. Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Fair Isle, Faeroes | North or northwest 6 to gale 8 backing west or northwest 4 to 6. Very rough, occasionally high at first in Fair Isle, becoming moderate or rough. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Southeast Iceland | Variable 2 to 4 at first in west, otherwise northwesterly backing southwesterly, 4 to 6. Very rough at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later. Rain. Good, occasionally poor |
Sea Area Map
Sea area boundaries used in the Shipping Forecast — Wight is the small area covering the Solent, Southampton Water and the Isle of Wight, between Portland and Dover.
Source: Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency • See also: Inshore Waters Forecast • UK Wave Height