Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon 

Southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 at times, occasionally storm 10 later in Shannon. Rough or very rough in Lundy and Irish Sea, otherwise very rough or high, occasionally very high in Shannon. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor. 

If you are an insomniac then no doubt you are already celebrating the centenary of the Shipping Forecast as these words, together with the music of Sailing By, lull you to sleep. 

The opening of the long wave transmitter at Daventry gave the BBC true national coverage and ‘Weather News by Wireless’ started in July 1925. This rapidly evolved and, from October that year, Weather Shipping (Shipping Forecast) was broadcast in its own right, with an evening broadcast added from January 1926. Transmission has only been interrupted by the First and Second World Wars. 

The origins of the Shipping Forecast are much older, going back to the work of Captain (later Vice Admiral) Robert FitzRoy, who commanded HMS Beagle’s famous second voyage in company with Charles Darwin. In 1855, FitzRoy was appointed first head of the Board of Trade’s Meteorological Department – the forerunner of the Met Office. At that time as many as 1000 lives were lost each year in shipping accidents around Britain’s coast. It was after the wreck of the steam clipper Royal Charter in 1861, with the loss of 450 lives in a violent storm off Anglesey, that FitzRoy established a system of storm warnings. 

Using the electric telegraph, FitzRoy collected observations from all around the British Isles, and plotted them onto charts to create a storm forecast. Warnings were sent back out to the coasts where they were displayed at coastguard stations using a visual system of cones and drums. This was only completely replaced in 1984 when maritime law stated all vessels had to be fitted with radio. 

The first BBC broadcasts covered three large areas of the Western, Southern and Eastern seas around the UK with an additional Northern area added in 1932. Each sea area was divided into sub areas named after local islands, rivers or banks. 

After the Second World War, with shipping services returning to normal, it was felt shipping forecasts should cover a wider area. In 1949 a new format was launched with 18 new names added, including Lundy. 

Birthday congratulations to the Shipping Forecast with grateful thanks from all mariners and insomniacs.