The Shipping Forecast is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the British isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The forecast actually dates back over 150 years. There are currently two or three broadcasts per day, at 00:48, 05:20, and 17:54 (weekends only) UK local time.
In the forecast, the waters around the British Isles are divided into 31 sea areas, also known as weather areas. The forecast begins by listing areas with gale warnings, followed by a general synopsis of pressure areas, then a forecast for each individual sea area covering wind speed and direction, precipitation, and visibility.
The unique and distinctive presentation style of these broadcasts has led to their attracting an audience much wider than that directly interested in maritime weather conditions. It is frequently referred to and parodied in British popular culture, but was born of a true tragedy.
The Shipping Forecast was established by Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy, the first professional weather forecaster, captain of HMS Beagle and founder of the Met Office.
In October 1859, the steam clipper Royal Charter was wrecked in a strong storm off Anglesey; 450 people lost their lives. In response to this loss, FitzRoy introduced a warning service for shipping in February 1861, using telegraph communications.
This remained the United Kingdom’s Met Office primary responsibility for some time afterward. In 1911, the Met Office began issuing marine weather forecasts which included gale and storm warnings via radio transmission for areas around Great Britain. This service was discontinued during and following the First World War, between 1914 and June 1921, and again during the Second World War between 1939 and 1945.
The programme was first broadcast on the radio on 1 January 1924, then called Weather Shipping. From October 1925, it has been broadcast by the BBC.
Today, although most ships have onboard technology to provide the Forecast’s information, they still use it to check their data.
The 150th anniversary of the shipping forecast was on 24 August 2017.
The forecast follows the order shown, going clockwise around the British Isles, with each area except Trafalgar, Irish Sea, Shannon, and Fair Isle bordering the previous. Trafalgar is only included in the 00:48 forecast, except when gales or more are due there.
1. Viking. 2. North Utsire. 3. South Utsire. 4. Forties. 5. Cromarty. 6. Forth. 7. Tyne. 8. Dogger. 9. Fisher. 10. German Bight. 11. Humber. 12 Thames. 13. Dover. 14. Wight. 15. Portland. 16. Plymouth. 17. Biscay. 18. Trafalgar. 19. Fitzroy. 20. Sole. 21. Lundy. 22. Fastnet. 23. Irish Sea. 24. Shannon. 25. Rockall. 26. Malin. 27. Hebrides. 28. Bailey. 29. Fair Isle. 30. Faeroes. 31. Southeast Iceland.
