AND NOW THE SHIPPING FORECAST ISSUED BY THE MET OFFICE, ON BEHALF OF THE MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY, AT 0505 UTC ON SATURDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2012 FOR THE PERIOD 0600 UTC SATURDAY 04 FEBRUARY TO 0600 UTC SUNDAY 05 FEBRUARY 2012

THERE ARE WARNINGS OF GALES IN VIKING NORTH UTSIRE SOUTH UTSIRE FORTIES CROMARTY FORTH TYNE DOGGER BISCAY TRAFALGAR SHANNON ROCKALL MALIN HEBRIDES BAILEY FAIR ISLE FAEROES AND SOUTHEAST ICELAND

THE GENERAL SYNOPSIS AT MIDNIGHT LOW 200 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ICELAND 983 EXPECTED JUST NORTH OF ICELAND 991 BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. HIGH FITZROY 1042 SLOW MOVING WITH LITTLE CHANGE BY SAME TIME. NEW LOW EXPECTED PORTLAND 1021 BY THAT TIME

THE AREA FORECASTS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS

VIKING NORTH UTSIRE SOUTH UTSIRE EAST FORTIES SOUTHERLY 6, INCREASING 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9. MODERATE OR ROUGH, BECOMING VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY HIGH IN VIKING. OCCASIONAL SNOW. MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY VERY POOR

WEST FORTIES CROMARTY SOUTHERLY 6, INCREASING 7 TO SEVERE GALE 9, VEERING WESTERLY 6 LATER. MODERATE OR ROUGH, BECOMING VERY ROUGH FOR A TIME IN CROMARTY. RAIN AND SNOW, FAIR LATER. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY VERY POOR

FORTH TYNE WEST DOGGER SOUTH 5, INCREASING 6 TO GALE 8, VEERING WEST 5 LATER. SLIGHT OR MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY VERY ROUGH. RAIN AND SNOW, FAIR LATER. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY VERY POOR

EAST DOGGER FISHER GERMAN BIGHT EASTERLY 4 OR 5, VEERING SOUTHERLY OR SOUTHEASTERLY 5 TO 7, OCCASIONALLY GALE 8 IN EAST DOGGER. SLIGHT, BECOMING MODERATE OR ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY ROUGH IN EAST DOGGER. OCCASIONAL SNOW. MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY VERY POOR

HUMBER THAMES DOVER WIGHT EAST 4 OR 5, VEERING SOUTH 5 TO 7, PERHAPS GALE 8 LATER IN HUMBER. SLIGHT OR MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY ROUGH LATER. SNOW SHOWERS, SLEET AND SNOW LATER. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY VERY POOR LATER

PORTLAND PLYMOUTH NORTH BISCAY VARIABLE, BECOMING SOUTHWESTERLY, 4, INCREASING 5 TO 7, BECOMING CYCLONIC THEN NORTHERLY LATER. SLIGHT OR MODERATE, BECOMING ROUGH. RAIN FOR A TIME. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR

SOUTH BISCAY NORTHERLY, BACKING NORTHWESTERLY, 5, INCREASING 6 TO GALE 8. MODERATE, BECOMING ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY ROUGH LATER. WINTRY SHOWERS THEN RAIN. GOOD, BECOMING POOR

FITZROY SOLE SOUTHWESTERLY, VEERING NORTHWESTERLY, 5 TO 7, BUT VARIABLE 4 IN SOUTH FITZROY. MODERATE OR ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY VERY ROUGH. OCCASIONAL RAIN. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR

LUNDY FASTNET IRISH SEA SOUTH 5 TO 7, VEERING NORTHWEST 5 OR 6. MODERATE OR ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY SLIGHT IN IRISH SEA. OCCASIONAL RAIN THEN FAIR. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR

SHANNON ROCKALL MALIN SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST, VEERING WEST FOR A TIME, 5 TO 7, DECREASING 4 LATER IN MALIN. ROUGH OR VERY ROUGH, OCCASIONALLY HIGH IN NORTH ROCKALL. RAIN AT TIMES. MODERATE OR GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR

HEBRIDES BAILEY FAIR ISLE FAEROES SOUTHEAST ICELAND SOUTHERLY, VEERING WESTERLY, 6 TO GALE 8, INCREASING SEVERE GALE 9 AT TIMES. VERY ROUGH OR HIGH, OCCASIONALLY ROUGH AT FIRST IN FAIR ISLE. RAIN THEN SQUALLY SHOWERS. GOOD, OCCASIONALLY POOR