The Shipping Forecast — Audio
BBC Radio 4 • Southampton is in sea area “Wight”
Latest broadcast: 20/07/2026 • 9 mins • Checked 18:31 • Source: BBC Sounds
Southampton is in sea area “Wight”. The Shipping Forecast gives a summary of gale warnings, a general synopsis and forecasts for specified sea areas around the UK — see our text version for today’s Wight forecast pulled out and highlighted, updated automatically from the Met Office.
Broadcast Times
Read out on BBC Radio 4 at 00:48 and 05:34 every day, plus an extra broadcast at 17:54 on Saturdays and Sundays (all times UK local). The 00:48 broadcast is the longest, and is the only one that also includes the four Coastal Station Reports at the end. The player above shows whichever of these was broadcast most recently — check the “Latest broadcast” date/length above the player to see which one it is.
Note: Radio 4’s long wave service on 198kHz (1515m) — the traditional way to pick up the Shipping Forecast at sea — permanently closed on 27 June 2026 after 102 years. The forecast continues on FM, DAB and BBC Sounds; some coastguard/marina VHF re-broadcasts may also continue locally — check with your local coastguard station if you rely on radio reception rather than an internet connection.
How To Read It
The forecast is in four parts. First comes any Gale Warnings. Next is the General Synopsis — where the weather systems are and where they’re heading. Then come the Sea Area Forecasts for the next 24 hours: wind direction and strength, sea state, weather and visibility, area by area — this is the famous “Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty…” roll-call. Finally, on the 00:48 broadcast only, come the Coastal Station Reports: actual conditions at stations around the British Isles — wind, precipitation, visibility, pressure and pressure change — which experienced listeners use to judge exactly where a weather front has passed or is about to arrive.
Sea Area Map
Wight is the sea area covering the Solent, Southampton Water and the Isle of Wight, between Portland and Dover.
Source: BBC Sounds • See also: Shipping Forecast (Text) • Inshore Waters Forecast