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The Shipping Forecast is a regular feature of BBC Radio 4 and is provided by the UK Meteorological Office. Because of its unique and distinctive sound, it has an appeal much wider than those solely interested in nautical weather, and is regarded with affection by many listeners. It is broadcast four times a day and consists of reports and forecasts of weather for the seas around Britain's coast.
These are divided into "sea areas": Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight (Heligoland until 1956), Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, FitzRoy (Finisterre until Feb 2002), Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faroes, Southeast Iceland.
The forecast begins with gale warnings (winds of force 8 or more, on the Beaufort scale), if any (e.g. There are warnings of gales in Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, and Fair Isle). The General Synopsis follows, giving the position, pressure (in millibars) and track of pressure areas (e.g. Low, Rockall, 987, deepening rapidly, expected Fair Isle 964 by 0700 tomorrow) then each area's forecast is read out. Several areas may be combined into a single forecast where the conditions are expected to be similar. Wind direction is given first, then strength (on the Beaufort scale), followed by precipitation, if any, and (usually) lastly visibility. Change in wind direction is indicated by veering (clockwise change) or backing (anticlockwise change). Winds of above force 8 are also described by name (see Beaufort scale) for emphasis. When severe winter cold combines with strong winds, icing can occur; if expected, icing warnings (light, moderate or severe) are given as the last item of each sea area forecast. For example:
And most spectacularly, on 10 January 1993, when a record North Atlantic low pressure of 913 mB was recorded:
With the information provided in the Shipping Forecast it is perfectly possible to compile (and then interpret) a pressure chart for the coasts of North Western Europe. Extended shipping forecasts also include weather reports from a list of additional coastal stations and automatic weather logging stations, which are known by their names, such as "Channel Light Vessel Automatic".
Other maritime countries also use sea area maps but with local variations. For instance, the area that the British forecasts call Dover is referred to by the French as Pas-de-Calais.
The reason for choosing BBC Radio 4 for the Shipping Forecast is not simply because it is a speech-based channel, but also because it broadcasts via longwave as well as FM, and the longwave signal can be received clearly at sea all around the British Isles. For this reason, the Light Programme and Radio 2 were used for the shipping forecast until 1978, when they broadcast on longwave and the Home Service and Radio 4 were on medium wave.
The last broadcast of the Shipping Forecast at 00.45 each day (followed by the closedown of the station) is traditionally preceded by the playing of the same piece of music, a mellow string arrangement named "Sailing By" by Ronald Binge.
Part of the Shipping Forecast's charm is that it is read at dictation speed by Radio 4 announcers such as Charlotte Green, whose speaking voices have devoted fans.
The evocation is enhanced by the fact that stormy weather is always announced first, with the introduction "The Met Office issues the following storm warnings in sea areas ..." directing the listener's thoughts to the ships in those areas, and the people whose lives might depend on the following words.
Due to its set rhythm, calm annunciation, and list of characteristic names from around Britain, the Shipping Forecast can sound quite poetic when broadcast.
It is perhaps not surprising that it has featured in songs and poetry as a result.
"This Is a Low" on Blur's album Parklife includes the lyrics:
Other popular artists who have used samples of the shipping forecast include Andy White who added the forecast to one of his tracks to create a very nostalgic, cosy and soporific sound, highly evocative of the British Isles.
The Carol Ann Duffy poem Prayer finishes with the lines:
The Shipping Forecast has also inspired writing, painting and photographic collections, notably Mark Power and David Chandler's The Shipping Forecast and Peter Collyer's Rain, Later Good. Their critical and commercial success is a tribute both to the time and energy people are willing to invest in artistic projects inspired by the shipping forecast, and the warmth with which the public regard this regular radio announcement.
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