How did the shipping forecast areas get their names?
Origin of names Viking, Forties, Dogger, Fisher, Sole and Bailey – after sandbanks or relative shallows. Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Humber, Thames and Shannon – after firths/estuaries. Wight, Lundy, Fair Isle, Faeroes, Portland, Hebrides, South-East Iceland and Utsire (an archaic spelling of Utsira) – after islands.
Who issues the shipping forecast?
Today, the shipping forecast is produced by the Met Office and aired on BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. There are dedicated teams of meteorologists operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.
Who invented the shipping forecast?
The forecast was first developed by the world’s first weatherman, Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy in February 1861. He created it in response to a passenger ship being wrecked off Anglesey two years earlier, killing 450 people. It was first published in newspapers in 1867, making 24 August 2017 its 150th birthday.
What do the shipping forecast terms mean?
Shipping forecast terms are strictly defined so that forecasts are as concise as possible consistent with clarity; information in an overlong forecast is, all too easily lost.
Is the shipping forecast still used?
The Shipping Forecast is still broadcast four times a day on long wave on BBC Radio 4, continuing a tradition which goes back 90 years. British ears accustomed to years of the familiar rhythms of Radio 4 will know the gentle reassurance afforded by updates from Forties, Faeroes and Fair Isle.
Why was Finisterre renamed?
Britain uses the term to refer to a 90,000 square mile area of Atlantic Ocean off the North West coast of Spain. The United Nations World Meteorological Organisation has decided this could confuse sailors and has ordered Britain to rename its Finisterre sea area.
What is shipping time forecast?
The shipping forecast is issued four times a day at 2300, 0500, 1100, 1700 UTC and covers a period of 24 hours from 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC respectively.
Where can I listen to the shipping forecast?
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 – Shipping Forecast.
Is the Shipping Forecast still used?
What are the numbers in the Shipping Forecast?
The numbers refer to the Beaufort Scale of wind strength. Imminent means within 6 hours, soon between 6 and 12, and later meaning after 12 hours. There are lots of other jargon used in the Shipping Forecast.
How do I listen to the shipping forecast?
BBC Radio 4 – Shipping Forecast.
Why is Finisterre now FitzRoy?
British broadcasters will rename the zone FitzRoy, chosen in memory of the founding father of the Met Office, Admiral Robert FitzRoy, who allegedly committed suicide in 1865, frustrated that his forecasts couldn’t prevent ships from sinking at sea. Not everyone is happy with the change.
When is the next Met Office Shipping Forecast?
Issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 05:05 (UTC+1) on Tue 20 Jul 2021 The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 05:05 (UTC+1) on Tue 20 Jul 2021 for the period 07:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 20 Jul 2021 to 07:00 (UTC+1) on Wed 21 Jul 2021.
Who are the people who produce the Shipping Forecast?
Shipping Forecast. The Shipping Forecast is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of 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 forecasts sent over the Navtex system use a similar format and the same sea areas.
What are the names of the shipping areas?
ROUND ONE – NAME THE SHIPPING FORECAST AREAS Bailey, Biscay, Cromarty, Dogger, Dover, Faeroes, Fair Isle, Fastnet, Fisher, FitzRoy, Forth, Forties, German Bight, Hebrides, Humber, Irish Sea, Lundy, Malin, North Utsire, Plymouth, Portland, Rockall, Shannon, Sole, South East Iceland, South Utsire, Thames, Trafalgar, Tyne, Viking, Wight.
What are the weather forecasts for the UK?
Moderate or rough. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor. Northerly or northwesterly, but northeasterly in far southeast, 4 to 6. Moderate, occasionally rough, but mainly slight in sheltered southeast.