The Shipping Forecast — Text
Live • fetched from the Met Office • Southampton is in sea area “Wight”
Valid from 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 until 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 13 Nov 2026 • Issued 17:25 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 • Cached 18:49
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Sea Area Wight (covers the Solent & Southampton Water)
Forecast group: Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth
Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in Plymouth and Portland. Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate in Plymouth, elsewhere slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight later, except in east Dover. Showers in Dover. 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 994 expected northwest Spain 1006 by midday tomorrow. New high expected southern Ireland 1019 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 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 | 21:53 (UTC) on Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly gale force 8 imminent |
| 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 |
| Fair Isle | 03:49 (UTC) on Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Northwesterly severe gale force 9 decreasing gale force 8 imminent |
All Sea Area Forecasts (Next 24 Hours)
| Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire | Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 later, then veering westerly later in Viking. Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later in west Viking. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger | Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in Forties and Dogger, backing west 4 to 6 later. Rough or very rough. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Fisher, German Bight | Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later. Moderate or rough in Humber, elsewhere rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later in Tyne. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Humber, Thames | North or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later. Moderate or rough in Humber, elsewhere rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later in Tyne. Showers. Good |
| Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth | Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in Plymouth and Portland. Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate in Plymouth, elsewhere slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight later, except in east Dover. Showers in Dover. Good |
| Biscay, FitzRoy | Cyclonic 5 to 7. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in FitzRoy. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Trafalgar (issued 00:15 UTC) | Cyclonic, mainly west, 5 to 7. Rough or very rough. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor. |
| Sole | Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, veering southeast 3 to 5 later. Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Mainly fair. Good |
| Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea | North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in Fastnet, becoming variable 2 to 4. Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later in Fastnet, elsewhere slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight later. Showers. Good |
| Shannon | Northeast 4 or 5, veering south or southeast 3 to 5 later. Moderate or rough, occasional slight later in west. Mainly fair. Good |
| Rockall | Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later. Moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Malin, Hebrides | North or northwest, backing west or southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in Hebrides. Moderate or rough. Showers. Good |
| Bailey | Northwest 3 to 5, backing west 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later. Moderate or rough. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally moderate |
| Fair Isle, Faeroes | West or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally 8 at first in far southeast Fair Isle. Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Southeast Iceland | Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Moderate or rough. Rain or showers. 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