The Shipping Forecast — Text
Live • fetched from the Met Office • Southampton is in sea area “Wight”
Valid from 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 until 06:00 (UTC) on Sat 14 Nov 2026 • Issued 05:05 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 • Cached 04:55
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Sea Area Wight (covers the Solent & Southampton Water)
Forecast group: Wight, Portland, Plymouth
Northeast veering southeast, 2 to 4, but 3 to 5 in Plymouth. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in Plymouth. Mainly fair. 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 FitzRoy 999 expected Biscay 1010 by midnight tonight. High Rockall 1019 expected Germany 1021 by same time. Low northwest of Iceland 997 expected northeast of Iceland 982 by that time
Gale Warnings In Force
| Area | Issued | Warning |
| Viking | 22:09 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| North Utsire | 15:50 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| South Utsire | 15:50 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| Forties | 22:09 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| Fisher | 04:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| German Bight | 04:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 continuing |
| Bailey | 04:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Westerly gale force 8 expected later |
| Fair Isle | 04:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later |
| Faeroes | 04:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Westerly gale force 8 expected later |
| Southeast Iceland | 04:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Westerly gale force 8 expected soon, veering northwesterly and increasing severe gale force 9 later |
All Sea Area Forecasts (Next 24 Hours)
| Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire | Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, backing westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later. Very rough becoming moderate or rough. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Forties | Northwest 6 to gale 8 backing west 5 to 7. Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger | Northwest backing west or southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in Dogger and later in Cromarty. Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, but in Dogger rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Showers in Cromarty and Dogger. Good |
| Fisher, German Bight | Northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west 4 to 6. Very rough becoming moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Humber, Thames | Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 4 or 5 in Humber, but 3 or 4 in Thames. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in northeast Humber, becoming slight or moderate. Showers. Good |
| Dover | North 4 or 5, becoming variable 4 or less. Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight. Fair. Good |
| Wight, Portland, Plymouth | Northeast veering southeast, 2 to 4, but 3 to 5 in Plymouth. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in Plymouth. Mainly fair. Good |
| Biscay, FitzRoy | Cyclonic, but east at first in Biscay, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in Biscay. Showers, thundery in FitzRoy. Good, occasionally poor |
| Trafalgar (issued 00:15 UTC) | Cyclonic, mainly west or northwest, 4 to 6. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor. |
| Sole | East 4 or 5 veering south 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Lundy, Fastnet | Northeast 2 to 5, veering south 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in Fastnet. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Lundy. Showers. Good |
| Irish Sea | Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 4 to 6. Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later. Showers. Good |
| Shannon | Southeast 2 to 4, veering south 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Rockall, Malin | West 3 to 5 backing southwest 4 to 6. Moderate occasionally rough, but smooth or slight at first in east Malin. Showers. Good |
| Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes | Northwest 4 to 6 at first in Fair Isle, otherwise west or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later except in Hebrides. Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough. Rain. Good, occasionally poor |
| Southeast Iceland | Cyclonic 5 to 7, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later. Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high later in north. Rain, sleet later. Good, occasionally poor. Light icing |
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