Happy Birthday to the Shipping Forecast - 150 today!

Along with a love of the sea and what it brings, all fishermen share an affinity with the Shipping Forecast, its embedded in our DNA now.  Anyone who has ever needed to listen to it as a matter of necessity always finds themselves drawn to it - even when not at sea.  

The midnight forecast, preceded by the music, 'Sailing By" always gets that bit of extra attention as anyone who was at sea the night of the Fastnet Yacht race disaster or the 1988 October storm will remember.

This simple graphic shows all 31 forecast areas and for most fishermen it is the...

direction and strength of the wind, using the Beaufort Scale, that is most important element of the forecast in planning ahead - heeding the strength, direction and duration of wind likely to affect their ability to continue fishing safely.

Here's a chance to listen to the tea-time (as its often referred to) forecast as heard in the wheelhouse aboard the trawler Crystal Sea earlier this year as recorded by research student, Lamorna Ash. Lamorna is currently based in Newlyn researching a book on the fishing community.

Back to the future and here is today's forecast in full:

1. Viking

   Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 10:00 UTC(Open)

   Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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   • Wind

     North 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.

   • Sea State

     Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.

   • Weather

     Wintry showers.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

2. North Utsire

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   • Wind

     Northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times.

   • Sea State

     Moderate or rough.

   • Weather

     Mainly fair.

   • Visibility

     Mainly good.

3. South Utsire

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   • Wind

     Northerly or northeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times.

   • Sea State

     Moderate or rough.

   • Weather

     Mainly fair.

   • Visibility

     Mainly good.

4. Forties

   Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 16:00 UTC(Open)

   Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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   • Wind

     North 6 to gale 8.

   • Sea State

     Rough or very rough.

   • Weather

     Squally wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

5. Cromarty

   Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 16:00 UTC(Open)

   Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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   • Wind

     North 6 to gale 8.

   • Sea State

     Rough or very rough.

   • Weather

     Squally wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

6. Forth

   Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 16:00 UTC(Open)

   Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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   • Wind

     North 6 to gale 8.

   • Sea State

     Rough or very rough.

   • Weather

     Squally wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

7. Tyne

   Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 16:00 UTC(Open)

   Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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   • Wind

     North 6 to gale 8.

   • Sea State

     Rough or very rough.

   • Weather

     Squally wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

8. Dogger

   Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 16:00 UTC(Open)

   Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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   • Wind

     North 6 to gale 8.

   • Sea State

     Rough or very rough.

   • Weather

     Squally wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

9. Fisher

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   • Wind

     Cyclonic 4 or 5, becoming northeast 5 to 7.

   • Sea State

     Moderate or rough.

   • Weather

     Wintry showers.

   • Visibility

     Good, occasionally poor.

10. German Bight

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    • Wind

      Cyclonic 5 or 6, becoming northeast 5 to 7 later.

    • Sea State

      Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in west.

    • Weather

      Wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

11. Humber

    Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 16:00 UTC(Open)

    Northerly gale force 8 expected later
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    • Wind

      Northwest veering north, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.

    • Weather

      Wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

12. Thames

    Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 21:59 UTC(Open)

    Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
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    • Wind

      Northwest veering north, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

13. Dover

    Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 29 November 21:59 UTC(Open)

    Northwesterly gale force 8 expected soon
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    • Wind

      Northwest veering north, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Wintry showers, occasionally thundery.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

14. Wight

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    • Wind

      North or northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.

    • Sea State

      Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in south.

    • Weather

      Showers in south.

    • Visibility

      Mainly good.

15. Portland

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    • Wind

      North or northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.

    • Sea State

      Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in south.

    • Weather

      Showers in south.

    • Visibility

      Mainly good.

16. Plymouth

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    • Wind

      North or northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally moderate.

17. Biscay

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    • Wind

      North or northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally moderate.

18. Trafalgar

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    • Wind

      North or northeast 5 or 6, decreasing 4 at times.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Showers.

    • Visibility

      Good.

19. FitzRoy

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    • Wind

      Northerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in east.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Showers.

    • Visibility

      Good.

20. Sole

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    • Wind

      Northerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in east.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Showers.

    • Visibility

      Good.

21. Lundy

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    • Wind

      North 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally moderate.

22. Fastnet

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    • Wind

      North 5 to 7.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally moderate.

23. Irish Sea

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    • Wind

      North 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally moderate.

24. Shannon

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    • Wind

      North 5 or 6.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Showers.

    • Visibility

      Good.

25. Rockall

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    • Wind

      North 5 or 6.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Showers.

    • Visibility

      Good.

26. Malin

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    • Wind

      North 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers, wintry at times.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

27. Hebrides

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    • Wind

      North 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Squally showers, wintry at times.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

28. Bailey

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    • Wind

      Northwest 5 or 6, backing west 5 to 7 later.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally moderate.

29. Fair Isle

    Gale Warning: Gale warning issued 30 November 03:45 UTC(Open)

    Northerly gale force 8 continuing
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    • Wind

      Northerly 6 to gale 8, backing northwest 4 or 5 later.

    • Sea State

      Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.

    • Weather

      Squally wintry showers.

    • Visibility

      Good, occasionally poor.

30. Faeroes

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    • Wind

      North 5 to 7, becoming variable 3 or 4, then west 5 to 7 later.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Wintry showers, then occasional rain.

    • Visibility

      Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

31. Southeast Iceland

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    • Wind

      Westerly 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7.

    • Sea State

      Moderate or rough.

    • Weather

      Mainly fair.

    • Visibility

      Moderate or good.