NAVTEX Weather Broadcasts for Europe & the Mediterranean

About this page

Schedules and contents of NAVTEX broadcasts from European stations.

NAVTEX is the primary method for broadcasting Marine Safety Information (MSI) as part of the GMDSS. It should be used on all vessels going beyond 30 miles offshore. Terms used in marine forecastsniton are on another page of this site.

This page gives details of NAVTEX services likely to be of use to European sailors.


Related pages

On this page -

Current Situation

The table summarises the availability of routine weather information on NAVTEX around Western Europe. Gale warnings should be broadcast as soon as transmissions allow and then at each 4 hour broadcast while the warning is in force.


Recent messages available online

Navtex Live is a source of recent messages on 518kHz. The DWD NAVTEX page has links to four pages of messages on both frequencies received at Norderney and Rostock.


Schedules as at April 2022

NOTE. Most stations broadcast forecasts twice a day. Warnings will be broadcast in the next available time slot. Some stations repeat forecasts at every time slot.


Station & ID

kHz

Times (UTC)

Content

Sea Areas

METAREA XIX and XX....... Norwegian Areas, Norwegian Arctic, Russian Federation

Arkhangel'sk (L)

518

4-hourly from 0150

N/A

N/A

Murmansk (K)

518

4-hourly from 0140

N/A

N?A

Svalbard (A)

518

0000/1200

24 hour forecast

Norwegian Sea Areas

Bodo (B)

518

0010/1210

24 hour forecast

Norwegian Sea Areas

METAREA I......N Atlantic, UK Shipping forecast areas, UK Inshore waters

Grindavik (X)

518

4-hourly from 0350

24 hour forecast, warnings and ice warnings, .



Iceland Coastal waters Areas 1-9

Saouanes (R)

518

4-hourly from 0250

Grindavik (K)

490

4-hourly from 0140

Ice and snow warnings in Icelandic

Saouanes (E)

490

4-horly from 0040

Ørlandet (N)

518

0210/1410

24 hour forecast

Norwegian Sea Areas

Torshavn (D)

518

4-hourly from 0030

Forecasts for next 24 hours

Faeroes Sea-banks

Rögaland (L)

518

0950/2150

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and brief outlook

North Utsire, South Utsire, Fisher and German Bight

Vardo (C)

518

0820/2020

24 hour forecast

Kattegat and Skagerrak

Hamburg (S)

518

4-hourly from 0300

Forecasts and warnings

German Bight

Hamburg (L)

490

0550/2150

Warnings and forecasts

German North Sea Coasts

1350

Warnings

Oostende (T)

518

0710/1910

24 hour forecast

Coasts of Belgium and those of Sea Areas Thames and Dover

Oostende (B)

490

4-hourly from 0010

24 hour forecast in Dutch

Coasts of Belgium and those of Sea Areas Thames and Dover

Oostende (M)

518

4-hourly from 0330

24 hour forecast

UK Met Office for Thames Approaches

Ijmuiden (P)

518

0230, 1430

Warning Summary Sea Area Forecasts for next 12 hours and 12 hour outlook

Thames, Humber, German Bight, Dogger

Niton (E)

518

0840/2040

Warning Summary, Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and brief outlook

Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, Fitzroy, Sole, Lundy

0100

Extended Outlook

Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, Fitzroy, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon.

Niton (I)

490

0120/0520[/1320/1720

Inshore Waters Forecast and 24 hour Outlook

From Gibraltar Point to St David' Head, Channel islands. See my HMCG page

0920/2120

Latest actual weather reports

Southern coasts and Channel

Niton (T)

490

0710/1910

Warning summary and Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and a brief outlook (in French)

Humber, Tamise, Pas-de-Calais and Antifer

Portpatrick (O)

518

0620/1820

Warning Summary, Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and brief outlook

Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes and S E Iceland

0220

Extended Outlook

Lundy, Fastnet, Irish sea, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes and S E Iceland

Portpatrick (C)

490

0020/0820/1220/2020

Inshore Waters Forecast and 24 hour Outlook

Land's End to Cape Wrath, the Minch, Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough. See my HMCG page.

0420/1620

Latest actual weather reports

Western coasts and Irish Sea

Cullercoats (G)

518

0900/2100

Warning Summary, Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and brief outlook

Viking, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Humber, Thames, Fair Isle

0100

Extended Outlook

Fair Isle, Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, and Wight.

Cullercoats (U)

490

0720/1120
1920/2320

Inshore Waters Forecast and 24 hour Outlook

Cape Wrath to N Foreland, Shetland Islea. See my HMCG page.

0320/1529

Latest actual weather reports

Actual reports for the East coasts of the UK

Valentia (W)

518

0740/1940

24 hour forecasts, outlooks and buoy reports

Irish coastal areas

1140/2340

High Seas Bulletin

East Central sections of METAREA I

Malin Head (Q)

518

0640/1840

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and brief outlook.

Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides and Bailey

4-hourly from 0240

24 hour forecasts, outlooks and buoy reports

Irish coastal areas

1040/2240

High Seas Bulletin

East Northern and East Central sections of METAREA I

Malin Head (A)

490

4-hourly from 0000

Inshore Waters Forecast and 24 hour Outlook

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough, Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel, Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point, The Minch, Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath, Isle of Man

METAREA I......Baltic subarea

Jeloya

 (M)

518

0200/1400

N/A

Skagerrak and surrounding areas

Stockholm (Bjuröklubb) (H)

518

0510/1710

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Baltic Sea Areas 1-15

Stockholm (Gislovshammar ) (J)

518

0530/730

Stockholm (Grimeton) (I)

518

0530/1720

Tallinn (F)

518

0450/1650

Hamburg (L)

490

0150/1750

Warnings and forecasts

German Baltic coasts

0950

Warnings

METAREA II......Atlantic to the West of France, Iberia, N Africa, the Azores

Corsen (A)

518

0000/1200

Warning summary and Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and a brief outlook

Iroise, Yeu, Rochebonne, Cantabrico, Finisterre and Pazenn

Ouessant (E)

490

4-hourly from 0440

Warning summary and Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and a brief outlook (in French)

Casquets, Ouessant, Iroise, Yeu, Rochebonne, Cantabrico, Finisterre, Pazenn, Sole, Shannon, .Fastnet, Lundy and Irish Sea

la Coruña (D)

518

0830/2030

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Gran Sol, Pazenn, Iroise, Yeu, Rochebonne, Altair, Charcot, Finisterre, Cantabrico, Azores, Josephine, Porto, Sao Vincente, Cadiz, Estrecho, Madeira, Casablanca and Agadir See Note 2

la Coruña (W)

490

1140/1940

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours (in Spanish)

Gran Sol, Pazenn, Iroise, Yeu, Rochebonne, Altair, Charcot, Finisterre, Cantabrico, Azores, Josephine, Porto, Sao Vincente, Cadiz, Estrecho, Madeira, Casablanca and Agadir

See Note 2

Monsanto (R)

518

4-hourly from 0250

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Charcot, Josephine, Finisterre, Porto, Sao Vincente, Cadiz, Madeira, Casablanca, Agadir

Monsanto (G) See Note 3

490

4-hourly from 0100

.Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours (In Portuguese)

Charcot, Josephine, Finisterre, Porto, Sao Vincente, Cadiz, Madeira, Casablanca, Agadir

Porto Santo (Madeira) (P)

518

4-hourly from 0230

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Madeira, Casablanca, Agadir

Porto Santo (M)

490

4-hourly from 0100

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours in Portuguese

Madeira, Casablanca, Agadir

Horta (Azores) (F)

518

4-hourly from 0050

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Altair, Azores, Irving, Milne, Marsala

See Note 3

Horta (Azores) (J)

490

4-hourly from 0051

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Altair, Azores, Irving, Milne, Marsala in Portuguese

See Note 4

Las Palmas, (Canary Is) (I)

518

0920/1720

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Probably - Madeira, Casablanca, Agadir, Tarfaya, Canarias, Cap Blanc and Cap Timiris.

Las Palmas, (Canary Is) (A)

490

0800/1600

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours (in Spanish)

Probably - Madeira, Casablanca, Agadir, Tarfaya, Canarias, Cap Blanc and Cap Timiris.

Tarifa (G)

518

0900/2100

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Sao Vicente, Cadiz, Casablanca, Agadir, Gibraltar Strait/Estrecho, Alborán, Palos, Argelia.

Tarifa (T)

490

0710/1910

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours (in Spanish)

Sao Vicente, Cadiz, Casablanca, Agadir, Gibraltar Strait/Estrecho, Alborán, Palos, Argelia.

METAREA III- West......Western Mediterranean Sea Areas, Italian Sea Areas

Cabo la Naõ (X)

518

0750/1950

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours

Alborán, Palos, Argelia, Cabrera, Baleares, Menorca, Leon, Provenza, Liguria, Corcega, Cerdeña, Annaba.

Cabo la Naõ (M)

490

1000/2200

Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours (in Spanish)

Alborán, Palos, Argelia, Cabrera, Baleares, Menorca, Leon, Provenza, Liguria, Corcega, Cerdeña, Annaba.

La Garde

(W)

518

1140/2340

Warning summary and Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and a brief outlook

Lion, Provence, Ligure, Elbe, Corse, Maddalena, Sardaigne, Minorque, Baléares, Est Cabrera

La Garde (S)

490

0700/1900

Warning summary and Sea Area Forecasts for next 24 hours and a brief outlook (in French)

Lion, Provence, Ligure, Elbe, Corse, Maddalena, Sardaigne, Minorque, Baléares, Est Cabrera:

Piombino (N)

490

4-hourly from 0210

N/A

N/A

La Maddelena (R)

518

0650/1850

24 hour forecast/12 hour Outlook. Followed by 4 12 hour brief outlooks

Ligurian & Tyrrenhian Seas

La Maddelena (I)

490

0920/ 2120

24 hour forecast/12 hour Outlook. Followed by 4 12 hour brief outlooks.
In Italian

Ligurian & Tyrrenhian Seas

Aim Taya (Algeria) (B)

518

4-horly from 0110

N/A

N?A

Aim Taya (Algeria) (K)

490

4-horly from 0140

N/A

N?A

METAREA III-East.....Eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic and Black Sea Areas, Italian Sea Areas

Kelibia (Tunisia) (T)

518

0710/1910

As La Maddelena

Sardinian Channel, Sardinian Sea, Corsican Sea.
NOTE Not operational as at 31 July. 2013

Sellia Marina (V)

518

0730/1930

As La Maddelena

Ionian sea

Sellia Marina (W)

490

0740,/1940

As La Maddelena
In Italian

Ionian sea

Malta (O)

518

4-hourly from 0220

24 hour forecast

50 miles around Malta.

Malta (T)

490

4-hourly from 0310

24 hour forecast

50 miles around Malta.

Mondolfo (U)

518

0720/1920

As La Maddelena

Adriatic

Mondolfo (E)

490

0340/1140/1540/2340

As La Maddelena
In Italian

Adriatic

Split (Q)

518

4-hourly from 0240

12 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook, Updated always at 0640/1840 and sometimes at 1040 and, 1440.

Adriatic .anf Otranto Strait

Kerkyra (K)

518

4-hourly from 0140

24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook

South Adriatic, North Ionia, South Ionio, Patraikos, Korinthiakos, Kithira sea

Kerkyra (P)

490

4-hourly from 0230

24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook (in Greek)

South Adriatic, North Ionia, South Ionio, Patraikos, Korinthiakos, Kithira sea

Iraklion (Crete) (H)

518

4-hourly from 0110

24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook

.

Iraklion (Crete) (Q)

490

4-hourly from 0240

24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook (in Greek)

.

Cyprus (M)

518

4-hourly from 0200

Forecasts and warnings

Eastern Mediterranean

Limnos (L)

518

0550/0950 1750/2150

.24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook

Greek sea areas

Limnos (R)

490

1050/1850

.24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook (Greek words, English characters)

Greek sea areas

Haifa (P)

518

4-hourly from 0020

12 forecast and outlook

Delta, Taurus Crusade

Anatyla (F)

518

4-hourly from 0050

Forecast for Taurus

Anatyla (FD)

490

4-hourly from 0030

Forecast (in Turkish)

Sea area Taurus

Izmir (I)

518

4 hourly from 0120

Forecast

Aegean & Jason

Izmir (C)

490

4 hourly from 0o20

Forecast in Turkish

Aegean & Jason

METAREA III-Black Sea

Istanbul (D)

518

4-hourly from 0030

Forecast

Marmaris & Danube

Istanbul (B)

490

4 hourly from 0010

Forecast in Turkish

Marmaris & Danube

Samsun (F)

518

4 hourly from 0040

Forecast

Georgia & Danube

Samsun (A)

490

4 hourly from 0099

Forecast in Turkish

Georgia & Danube

Berdiansk (G)

518

4-horly from 0100

N/A

N/A

Berdiansk (U)

490

4-horly from 0320

N/A

N/A

Odessa (C)

518

4-hourly from 0230

Forecast

NW Black Sea

Odessa (X)

490

4-hourly from 0260

Forecast

NW Black Sea

Varna (J)

518

0530/1730

12 hour forecast

Bulgarian waters and Black Sea, central and weat.

NOTES

General Notes

  • Extended Outlooks on UK NAVTEX broadcasts (only) cover the three days beyond the latest 24 hour outlook. So, for example, the outlook issued on the night of Monday/Tuesday is for the period Wednesday, Thursday and Friday..
  • Warnings will be broadcast as soon as possible and repeated every 4 hours
  • UK Warning summaries will EITHER list areas with a gale warning in force, list warnings by reference number OR say WARNINGS: NIL.
  • UK Brief outlooks will not exceed 30 words, so will be brief and to the point. If no hazards are expected this is usually stated.
  • Station Identification letters for 490 kHz transmissions differ from those for 518 kHz.
  • Warnings on UK 490 kHz. are only broadcast if there is a significant change to the Inshore Waters Forecast which could result in problems for small craft.

Specific Notes

  • Note 1. Niton (K) on 518 kHz does not include any forecasts.
  • Note 2. Gran Sol is, effectively, a large area comprising Plymouth, Lundy, Fastnet and E Sole.
  • Note 3.. Marsala is the mid-Atlantic area immediately south of Milne, Same longitude co-ords as Milne and southern boundary 30 deg N.

Considered user reaction and comment are always useful. The MCA is very clearly a lead player and is up to the MCA to ensure that Met Office provides the information that meets the user need. For more general matters concerned with NAVTEX eg quality of reception then please contact Guy Bealeat the UKHO, Taunton. Guy is the Secretary IMO NAVTEX Co-ordinating Panel BUT, first, see my NAVTEX Problems page.

Links to texts of broadcasts under GMDSS, including NAVTEX can be found on another page ================================== of this site.

NAVTEX Abbreviations

In order to minimise the length of NAVTEX weather transmissions, there is a set of recommended abbreviations set out below.

North (erly)

N

Northeast(erly)

NE

East(erly)

E

Southeast(erly)

SE

South(erly)

S

Southwest(erly)

SW

West(erly)

W

Northwest(erly)

NW

Backing

BACK

Becoming

BECMG

Building

BLDN

Cold Front

C-FRONT / CFNT

Decreasing

DECR

Deepening

DPN

Expected

EXP

Forecast

FCST

Filling

FLN

Following

FLW

From

FM

Frequent/Frequency

FRQ

HectoPascal

HPA

Heavy

HVY

Improving/Improve

IMPR

Increasing

INCR

Intensifying/Intensify

INTSF

Isolated

ISOL

Km/h

KMH

Knots

KT

Latitude/Longitude

LAT/LONG

Locally

LOC

Metres

M

Meteo…

MET

Moderate

MOD

Moving/Move

MOV or MVG

No change

NC

Nautical miles

NM

No significant change

NOSIG

Next

NXT

Occasionally

OCNL

Occlusion Front

O-FRONT / OFNT

Possible

POSS

Probability/Probable

PROB

Quickly

QCKY

Quasi-Stationary

QSTNR

Quadrant

QUAD

Rapidly

RPDY

Scattered

SCT

Severe

SEV / SVR

Showers

SHWRS / SH

Significant

SIG

Slight

SLGT or SLT

Slowly

SLWY

Stationary

STNR

Strong

STRG

Temporarily/Temporary

TEMPO

Further outlooks

TEND

Veering

VEER

Visibility

VIS

Variable

VRB

Warm Front

W-FRONT / WFNT


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