And now the Shipping Forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 0505 on Friday 08 January 2010.

There are warnings of gales in Thames Dover Wight Portland and trafalgar.

The general synopsis at midnight:
Lows Wight 1015, Humber 1017 and Sole 1019 moving steadily south and losing their identities by midnight tonight. High scotland 1025 expected Malin 1033 by same time. High southern norway 1031 slow moving, intensifying 1038 by that time.

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours:

Viking North Utsire South Utsire:
Variable in west Viking at first, otherwise easterly or southeasterly, 4 or 5. Slight or moderate. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Forties:
Cyclonic becoming east or northeast, 4 or 5. Moderate. Wintry showers. good, occasionally poor.

Cromarty Forth:
West or northwest becoming variable then south or southeast, 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times. Slight or moderate. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Tyne Dogger Fisher German Bight Humber:
Mainly easterly or northeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in German Bight and Humber. Moderate. Squally wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor, light icing in east German Bight.

Thames Dover Wight Portland Plymouth:
North or northeast 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 except Plymouth. Slight or moderate. Squally wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Biscay:
North or northeast 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Squally wintry showers. good, occasionally poor.

Fitzroy:
Northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, but 6 in southeast at first, and far north later. Rough, but very rough in south at first. Squally wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Sole Lundy Fastnet Irish Sea Shannon:
East or northeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times later. Slight or moderate, but rough in Sole and Shannon. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Rockall:
East veering south or southeast, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later. moderate or rough. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Malin:
Variable 3 or 4. Moderate. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Hebrides Bailey:
Variable 3 or 4. Moderate or rough. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

Fair Isle east Faeroes:
Northwest becoming variable then mainly southeast, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later. Moderate. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.

West Faeroes Southeast Iceland:
Mainly westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in the west of Southeast Iceland later. Moderate. Wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor.