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Many GMDSS weather forecasts are available on the Internet. When bandwidth is limited, the URLs can often be used to get the same information as small, a few kB, email attachments.
World Meteorological Organisation
A comprehensive reference publication is Volume D - Edition 2018 (with amendments made 10 Dec 2021). This is a large and rather unwieldy PDF file.
The Internet provides an alternative, supplementary way of getting most marine weather forecasts. It can also be a complementary service by providing information not covered under the GMDSS weather broadcasts. However, it always has to be borne in mind that the Internet is not an operational service. It will not always be available or it might cost too much just for the communications.
Texts of GMDSS forecasts:
- Inmarsat/Iridium EGC services
- Metarea 1, NW Europ
- Metarea 2, SW Europe
- Metarea 3, Mediterranean and Black Sea
- Metareas 4-21, Rest of the world
Other sources of information are:
- Texts of High seas and some Offshore forecasts, WWMIWS High Seas only can be bookmarked.
- MailASail email text service. All High seas and some Offshore forecasts.
- Weather charts
- Latest UK forecast charts in full size. (Page is about 790KB in total)
- Latest UK forecast charts in reduced size. (Page is about 290KB in total)
- MailASail chart responder for charts in compressed form via email.
- GRIB and other objective forecasts. Understanding, getting and using