And Now The Shipping Forecast Issued by the Met Office ....

There are certain things in life that  give or evoke comfort..........  

Toast, hot baths, bacon, clean sheets, mugs of tea

The Shipping Forecast is one such comfort giver.  For many years I have loved to listen to it, invariably whilst tucked up in a warm comfy bed in a place somewhere between awake and asleep.  From my safe vantage point and with eyes closed, this litany takes me away to  familiar places never seen. Veering and backing through squally wintery showers, moderate or good I am taken by the dulcet Radio 4 voice on my journey around the British Isles. 

Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames ..........

Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey............

In the places of my imagination I see those who risk their lives to earn a living out on the rough seas, and from my warm home comforts, I am thankful for my lot in life.  

Tyne, Dogger. Northeast 3 or 4. Occasional rain. Moderate or poor.

Rockall, Malin, Hebrides. Southwest gale 8 to storm 10, veering west, severe gale 9 to violent storm 11. Rain, then squally showers. Poor, becoming moderate.

Southeast Iceland. North 7 to severe gale 9. Heavy snow showers. Good, becoming poor in showers. Moderate icing

Click here to Listen to a Shipping Forecast

This daily Radio 4 broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the our Isles, is produced by the met office; a service for those directly interested in maritime weather conditions.  The fact that it appeals to so many like me with no aspirations to take to the high seas  is I suppose all part of its charm.  Words strung together which to me are a mystery and sound poetic, are potentially life saving to those in the know. 

 

Shipping forecast

The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, on Saturday 18 February 2012 at 1130 UTC

There are warnings of gales in Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland.

The General synopsis at 0600

New low moving rather quickly east expected Sweden 982 by 0600 tomorrow. New high expected Sole 1030 by same time. Low Trafalgar 1019 slow moving losing its identity by that time

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours

Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties

Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9. Rough or very rough, becoming high. Squally snow showers, rain at first. Good, occasionally poor

Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger

West, veering northwest, 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time. Rough or very rough, but moderate at first in Forth and Tyne. Squally snow showers, rain at first in Dogger. Moderate or good

Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames

Southwest, veering northwest, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later in Fisher. Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in Fisher, but moderate at first in Thames. Rain then squally snow showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Moderate, occasionally rough. Rain at first. Good, occasionally poor at first

Biscay

Westerly, veering northerly, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first in south. Slight or moderate, becoming rough. Rain or drizzle, fair later. Good, occasionally poor

Trafalgar (Issued 0015 UTC Sat 18 Feb)

Variable 3 or 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 5 at times. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain or showers. Moderate or good

North FitzRoy, Sole

Westerly 5 to 7, becoming variable 4 later. Rough or very rough. Occasional rain or wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor

Lundy, Fastnet

Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in Fastnet. Wintry showers, rain at first. Moderate or good

Irish Sea

Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5. Moderate or rough, becoming slight later. Squally wintry showers. Moderate or good

Shannon, Rockall, Malin

Northwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in Malin, decreasing 4 or 5. Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first in Rockall. Squally wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor

Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland

Northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, backing westerly 5 or 6. Very rough or high. Squally snow showers. Good, occasionally poor. Light icing in Faeroes and Southeast Iceland

So we see from the lunch time forecast that today's coastal weather is tricky.  I imagine there are many out there battling the elements.  I take comfort in the fact I am not one of them........