The Shipping Forecast — Text
Live • fetched from the Met Office • Southampton is in sea area “Wight”
Valid from 18:00 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 until 18:00 (UTC+1) on Mon 19 Oct 2026 • Issued 16:25 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 • Cached 21:24
Sea Area Wight (covers the Solent & Southampton Water)
Forecast group: Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland
Northeast veering east or southeast, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 except in Humber. Moderate or rough in Humber, but elsewhere slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Dover and Wight. Rain or thundery showers. 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
High Forties 1037 moving rather quickly away eastwards
Gale Warnings In Force
| Area | Issued | Warning |
| FitzRoy | 15:44 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 | Northeasterly gale force 8 continuing |
| Hebrides | 15:44 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 | Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon |
| Bailey | 03:46 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 | Southerly severe gale force 9 now decreased gale force 8, gale force 8 backing southwesterly soon, increasing severe gale force 9 later |
| Fair Isle | 15:44 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 | Southwesterly gale force 8 expected soon |
| Faeroes | 09:48 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 | Gale force 8 veering southwesterly imminent |
| Southeast Iceland | 15:44 (UTC+1) on Sun 18 Oct 2026 | Southwesterly severe gale force 9 continuing |
All Sea Area Forecasts (Next 24 Hours)
| Viking, North Utsire | Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in northwest Viking. Moderate, occasionally rough in north. Fair. Good |
| South Utsire, Forties | Southeasterly 3 to 5. Moderate occasionally slight. Fair. Good |
| Cromarty | South or southeast 4 to 6. Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate. Showers later. Good |
| Forth | Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5. Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate. Showers later. Good, occasionally poor later |
| Tyne, Dogger, Fisher | East veering southeast, 4 to 6. Moderate occasionally rough, but slight or moderate in Fisher. Showers. Good, occasionally moderate |
| German Bight | East 5 to 7. Rough at first in southwest, otherwise slight or moderate. Showers. Good |
| Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland | Northeast veering east or southeast, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 except in Humber. Moderate or rough in Humber, but elsewhere slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Dover and Wight. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Plymouth, Biscay | Northeast, veering east or southeast later, 3 to 5. Slight or moderate. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor |
| Trafalgar (issued 23:15 UTC+1) | Cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in far north. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in north. Showers. Good. |
| South FitzRoy | Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough until later in southwest. Showers. Good |
| North FitzRoy, East Sole | Northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later. Slight or moderate until later in east Sole, otherwise moderate or rough. Showers, thundery in east. Good, occasionally poor in east |
| West Sole | Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later. Moderate becoming rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good |
| Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea | Northeast, veering southeast later, but becoming cyclonic later in Fastnet, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later. Smooth or slight in Irish Sea and at first in Lundy, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in west Fastnet. Fair then showers, perhaps thundery later. Good, occasionally poor later |
| Shannon | Cyclonic mainly southeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later. Moderate or rough. Rain. Moderate or good |
| Rockall, Malin | Southerly or southwesterly, backing southeasterly in Malin, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in northwest Rockall. Moderate or rough in southeast Rockall, and also Malin except in far northwest, otherwise rough or very rough. Occasional rain. Good, occasionally poor |
| Hebrides, Bailey | South or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 in Hebrides and severe gale 9 at first in Bailey. Rough or very rough in Hebrides except far northwest, otherwise very rough or high. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor |
| Fair Isle | Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in northwest, backing southerly 4 to 6 later. Moderate or rough in southeast, otherwise rough or very rough. Showers. Good |
| Faeroes, Southeast Iceland | Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in Southeast Iceland, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later in northwestern Southeast Iceland. Very rough or high. Rain. Moderate or 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