The Shipping Forecast — Text
Live • fetched from the Met Office • Southampton is in sea area “Wight”
Valid from 06:00 (UTC+1) on Thu 3 Sep 2026 until 06:00 (UTC+1) on Fri 4 Sep 2026 • Issued 04:05 (UTC+1) on Thu 3 Sep 2026 • Cached 04:41
Sea Area Wight (covers the Solent & Southampton Water)
Forecast group: Wight, Portland, Plymouth
Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. Moderate occasionally slight. Drizzle at times. Moderate or good, occasionally poor
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 400 miles west of Bailey 983 expected Bailey 986 by midnight tonight. High Biscay 1026 dissipating
Gale Warnings In Force
| Area | Issued | Warning |
| Rockall | 15:56 (UTC+1) on Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later |
| Malin | 03:55 (UTC+1) on Thu 3 Sep 2026 | Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later |
| Hebrides | 03:55 (UTC+1) on Thu 3 Sep 2026 | Southwesterly gale force 8 expected later |
| Bailey | 03:55 (UTC+1) on Thu 3 Sep 2026 | Gale now ceased but westerly gale force 8 expected later |
| Southeast Iceland | 09:48 (UTC+1) on Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Easterly gale force 8 expected soon |
All Sea Area Forecasts (Next 24 Hours)
| Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Northeast Forties | Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later. Moderate, occasionally rough at first in northeast Forties. Rain then showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Southwest Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger | Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east Dogger. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Fisher, German Bight | Southeast 3 to 5 at first in Fisher, otherwise west or southwest 4 to 6. Moderate occasionally rough. Occasional rain, thundery at first. Good, occasionally poor |
| Humber, Thames, Dover | Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later. Showers, rain later. Good, occasionally poor |
| Wight, Portland, Plymouth | Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. Moderate occasionally slight. Drizzle at times. Moderate or good, occasionally poor |
| Biscay | Variable 2 to 4. Slight or moderate. Drizzle in northwest. Good, occasionally poor in northwest |
| Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1) | Northerly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic in east, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southeast. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor in east. |
| Southeast FitzRoy | Cyclonic mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor |
| Northwest FitzRoy | Southwesterly, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest. Moderate, occasionally rough in far north. Occasional drizzle. Good, occasionally poor |
| Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea | Southwest, veering west or northwest later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in Sole and later elsewhere, perhaps gale 8 later. Slight or moderate in Irish Sea, but elsewhere moderate, occasionally rough in Sole and Fastnet and later in Lundy. Occasional rain. Good, occasionally poor |
| Shannon | Southwest, veering west later, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough. Occasional rain. Good, occasionally poor |
| Rockall | Southwest, veering west later, 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8. Rough or very rough, occasionally high later. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Malin, Hebrides | Southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later. Showers, squally and thundery later. Good, occasionally poor |
| Bailey | Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in north and gale 8 later in south. Rough, becoming rough or very rough. Rain or squally showers, thundery later. Good, occasionally poor |
| Fair Isle, Faeroes | Cyclonic 4 to 6. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west Fair Isle and south Faeroes. Occasional rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Southeast Iceland | Easterly becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, but 6 to gale 8 until later in west. 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: Shipping Forecast (Audio) • Inshore Waters Forecast • UK Wave Height