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
- SOLAS and the GMDSS - how they apply to leisure sailors
- NAVTEX and why we need it
- Understanding NAVTEX reception problems
- NAVTEX History
On this page -
- Recent messages online
- Arctic waters – METAREAs XIX and XX
- NW Europe – METAREA I except the Baltic
- Baltic subarea of METAREA I
- METAREA II - Atlantic S of Brest
- METAREA III - Western Med
- METAREA III - Eastern Med and Adriatic
- Black Sea
- Notes and Abbreviations
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.
|
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, . | |
|
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 |
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 |
Inshore Waters Forecast and 24 hour Outlook | |
|
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 | |
|
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. |
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. |
|
Sellia Marina (V) |
518 |
0730/1930 |
As La Maddelena |
Ionian sea |
|
Sellia Marina (W) |
490 |
0740,/1940 |
As La Maddelena |
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 |
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 |
|
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.
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