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And now the Shipping Forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 1725 on Saturday 07 November 2009.

There are warnings of gales in Viking North Utsire South Utsire Portland Plymouth Biscay Fitzroy Sole Lundy Fastnet Shannon Rockall Malin Fair Isle Faeroes and Southeast Iceland.

The general synopsis at midday:
Complex low Malin 984 expected northern france 1001 by 1200 tomorrow. low northeast Forties 988 expected Hebrides 1009 by same time.

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours:
Viking North Utsire South Utsire:
Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6, backing easterly later. rough or very rough. Rain or showers. Moderate or good.

Forties Cromarty Forth Tyne Dogger:
Easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7 in northeast Forties at first, otherwise southerly backing northerly 4 or 5, occasionally decreasing variable 3. Rough in Forties at first, otherwise moderate. Showers. moderate or good.

Fisher German Bight:
Southeasterly 5 to 7, becoming variable 3 or 4 in west. Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate. Rain or showers. Mainly good.

Humber Thames Dover Wight:
Southwesterly backing northeasterly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic for a time in Wight, decreasing 4 in Humber and Thames later. Moderate, occasionally rough in Wight. Thundery showers. Moderate or good.

Portland Plymouth:
Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in Plymouth, veering northerly 5 to 7 later. Rough in Portland, but very rough or high in Plymouth. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay:
Northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9. Very rough or high, occasionally very high. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Fitzroy Sole Lundy Fastnet:
Northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, veering northerly 5 to 7 later. Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first. Squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Irish Sea:
Cyclonic becoming northerly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Mainly moderate. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Shannon Rockall:
Northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7 later. High or very high, perhaps phenomenal in Shannon at first, becoming very rough later. Squally showers. Moderate or poor.

Malin:
Cyclonic becoming northwesterly, 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time in west. Very rough or high, decreasing rough. Showers. moderate or good.

Hebrides Bailey:
Cyclonic or northerly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times. Very rough or high, decreasing rough. Showers. Moderate or good.

Fair Isle Faeroes Southeast Iceland:
Cyclonic, mainly easterly, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Rough or very rough. Rain or squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.

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This file is updated 4 times a day at or after approximately 0015, 0505, 1130 and 1725. It is read out on Radio 4 at 0048, 0520, 1201 and 1754 (local time). All broadcasts are on LW on 1515m (198 kHz) and some transmissions are on VHF. You can also listen using the link on our website. It gives a summary of gale warnings in force, a general synopsis and area forecasts for specified sea areas around the UK. The radio bulletin also includes the coastal weather reports (0048 and 0536 only) but these are not currently available on our site.

The music played before the Shipping Forecast is 'Sailing By' composed by Ronald Binge. Unfortunately, the version of 'Sailing By' we use is not available commercially. However, a similar recording, featuring the late Ronnie Aldrich on the piano, has been issued by: Seaward Records Ltd, Strathallan Castle, Port St Mary, Isle of Man. The tune is also available on a CD, 'The Music of Ronald Binge', from Marco Polo Records, number 8.223515.

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