Service summary
|
|
|
| Description |
|
Forecast for shipping areas around the UK
from Iceland to Spain. |
| Format |
|
Text, XML |
| File
name |
|
FPUK71_EGRR.DAT,
FPUK80_EGRR.DAT |
| Issue
time |
|
0505, 1130, 1725
and 0015 UTC |
| Cost |
|
£550 exc.
VAT per annum. |
| Preview |
|
Click
here to preview the data |
Contents
Service details
Forecast for shipping areas around the UK from Iceland to Spain.
| Warning: The UK shipping forecast is produced for
the Maritime & Coastguard
Agency (MCA). Although this service
is permitted to be delivered to commercial users for use
on their web sites and intranet sites, you should be aware
that the MCA could change aspects of the service, including
the format, delivery times and content. We will try to notify
you as soon as possible of any changes, but it is the service
delivery mechanism that you are paying for and not the actual
content. |
Summary of service
details
- Forecast for shipping areas around UK, from Iceland
to Spain
- Updated at 0505, 1130, 1725
and 0015 UTC
The Shipping forecast service details the following elements for
the next 24 hours.
- Wind speed and direction
- Sea type
- Weather type
- Visibility
Areas covered by the shipping forecast are:
- Viking
- North Utsire
- South Utsire
- Forties
- Cromarty
- Forth
- Tyne
- Dogger
- Fisher
- German
Bight
- Humber
- Thames
- Dover
- Wight
- Portland,
- Plymouth
- Biscay
- Trafalgar
- FitzRoy
- Sole
- Lundy
- Fastnet
- Irish
Sea
- Shannon
- Rockall
- Malin
- Hebrides
- Bailey
- Fair Isle
- Faeroes
- South-east Iceland
About the script
The shipping forecast, which is provided by the Met Office and
broadcast four times daily on BBC Radio 4, is highly structured
to maximise the use of the available time. The basic order of the
forecast is:
- GALE WARNINGS IN FORCE (IF ANY)
- GENERAL SITUATION
- AREA FORECASTS:
- WIND DIRECTION/SPEED: SEA STATE: WEATHER: VISIBILITY: (SHIP
ICING IF APPROPRIATE)
Most of the forecast is self-explanatory, but in the synoptic preamble,
and in the weather reports which follow, some terms are used which
may not be generally familiar.
Movement of pressure centres
In forecast preamble/general situation:
| Slowly |
|
up to 15 knots |
| Steadily |
|
15-25 knots |
| Rather quickly |
|
25-35 knots |
| Rapidly |
|
35-45 knots |
| Very rapidly |
|
over 45 knots |
Pressure changes
In coastal station reports, three hours is a 'standard' time period
used in synoptic meteorology in mid/high latitudes.
| Steady |
|
Change less than 0.1 mb in 3 hours |
| Rising/Falling Slowly |
|
Change 0.1 to 1.5 mb in past 3 hours |
| Rising/Falling |
|
Change 1.6 to 3.5 mb in past 3 hours |
| Rising/Falling Quickly |
|
Change 3.6 to 6.0 mb in past 3 hours |
| Rising/Falling Very Rapidly |
|
Change more than 6.0 mb in 3 hours |
Veering/backing of wind
A veering wind is one which changes direction such that it moves with the
clock, e.g. from east to south through south-east. A wind that
changes against the normal clock motion is a backing wind.
Visibility
For the visibility categories the following apply:
| FOG |
|
< 1 km (<1100 yd) |
| POOR |
|
1 to 3.9 km (1100 yd to 2 n mile) |
| MODERATE |
|
4 to 9 km (2 to 5 n mile) |
| GOOD |
|
>= 10 km (>5 n mile) |
Format and sub-headings
The format of the UK Shipping Forecast is detailed below:
FPUK71 EGRR dd1500
And now the Shipping Forecast issued by the Met Office at 1725 on dddd dd mmmm
yyyy Rule I
There are warnings of gales in Area area area Rule A, F, K, Z7
The general synopsis at midday Rule I
Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text
text text text text
The area forecasts for the next 24 hours
Area area area Rule A, B
Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text Rule
C, G
Area area area Rule A, B
Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text Rule
C, G
Other rules, Rule J
Forecast period = dd 1725 UTC to dd+1 1725 UTC
Rule I
Rules:
|
A
|
Areas always appear in the following order: Viking, North
Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger,
Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland,
Plymouth, Biscay, Trafalgar*, FitzRoy, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet,
Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair
Isle, Faeroes, Southeast Iceland. (* only included on midnight
issue). |
|
B
|
In order to save on words as many areas as possible should
be grouped together, without losing important information.
Rule A must be followed when areas are grouped together.
As a general rule, in order not to confuse the listener,
when, say, four or more areas are grouped together, not more
than two (adjacent) areas should be 'excepted' following
'but' or 'except', e.g. 'Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland,
Plymouth.... moderate with fog patches becoming good except
in Humber and Thames' or 'Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German
Bight. Northwest 5 or 6 but gale 8 in Fisher and German Bight
at first'. Grouping should normally be by common wind forecasts;
differing weather and visibility can be dealt with by exception. |
|
C
|
The content by areas is inflexible, being wind, sea state,
weather and visibility (and superstructure icing if appropriate). |
|
D
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Maximum (excluding header line) of 370 words. |
|
F
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All areas with current gale warnings must be listed by rule
A unless 4 or less areas do not have current warnings in
which case the summary should read ".... in all areas
except......" following rule A. |
|
G
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Except in the case of 'hurricane force 12' the word force
is always omitted. |
|
I
|
Forecasts are issued in local time (GMT/UTC or BST as appropriate). |
|
J
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Maximum (excluding header line) of 350 words. |
|
K
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Trafalgar included if appropriate. |
|
Z7
|
In gale warnings, the suffix 'erly' is always used, e.g.
Southerly |
Pricing
The UK shipping forecast service assumes a one-year contract. Prices
are based purely on the basis of service provision (not the content)
and the basic graphics package and does not include technical support.
The price for the service provision is £515 + VAT per annum.
Standard terms and
conditions
All Met Office services are subject to our standard terms and conditions,
which can be faxed to you upon request and will be automatically
dispatched with the contract.
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