As a regimented form of news the Shipping Forecast maintains a precise structure, every word used has a different meaning in our everyday language than to mariners. The capped 370 word count creates an intrigue due to the contradiction within the broadcasts. “Cyclonic 5-7, good” would relate to constant wind changes in an anti clockwise direction and good visibility, however to those without an understanding of the meanings your imagination pictures life threatening scenes of violent seas and torturous winds, this heightens our experience of the shipping forecasts with an enigmatic essence drawing us in and allowing our mind to transport us to that other world.
Part of the poetic pleasure of the forecasts comes from the extended meanings of words. Due to the limited word count they have to be delivered in a way that it becomes an approximate figure. The word good means you have visibility for more than 5 nautical miles which would be a good visibility, so although good is an accurate representation of the visibility it allows you to plot the weather more accurately. This is the same for the word moderate, meaning a wave height of 1.25 to 2.5 metres. In comparison to smooth at less than 0.5m waves and phenomenal with waves of more than 14 metres high, moderate is also an appropriate and accurate description. |
With clear and concise speech the melodic pace of which it’s spoken could be mistaken for poetry. The pace is what engages so many land based listeners, it’s a calming mix of enigmatic wording and rhythmic lullaby whilst laying the foundation of contradiction and light hearted phrases sparking the imagination to wonder whilst your taken on a clockwise adventure.
As well as the pace of the forecasts, the assembly of words begins to create ambiguous short phrases. “Lightly icing” has multiple meanings, its actual meaning being a serious hazard where cold temperatures combined with high wind speed results in spray blown off the sea, this can freeze upon contact with the ship and cause weathering and in mass can cause ships to capsize. Although being such a hazard, phrases like “lightly icing” bring a light hearted tone to the forecasts with visual potential of hand crafted cake decorations and dustings of snow. The assembly of words also brings some form of contradiction; examples such as “rain later, good” doesn’t necessarily make sense within every day speech due to the negative connotation of rain and the positive nature of the word good. |
GALE WARNINGS
Gale: Winds of at least Beaufort force 8 or gusts reaching 43–51 knots Severe Gale: Winds of force 9 or gusts reaching 52–60 knots Storm: Winds of force 10 or gusts reaching 61–68 knots Violent Storm: Winds of force 11 or gusts of 69 knots or more Hurricane Force: Winds of force 12 (64 knots or more) Note: The term used is ‘hurricane force’; the term ‘hurricane’ on its own means a true tropical cyclone, not experienced in British waters. Imminent: Expected within six hours of time of issue Soon: Expected within six to 12 hours of time of issue Later: Expected more than 12 hours from time of issue WIND
Wind Direction: Indicates the direction from which the wind is blowing Becoming Cyclonic: Indicates that there will be considerable change in wind direction across the path of a depression within the forecast area Veering: The changing of the wind direction clockwise, e.g. SW to W Backing: The changing of the wind in the opposite direction to veering (anticlockwise), e.g. SE to NE VISIBILITY
Very Poor: Visibility less than 1,000 metres Poor: Visibility between 1,000 metres and 2 nautical miles Moderate: Visibility between 2 and 5 nautical miles Good: Visibility more than 5 nautical miles |
SEA STATE
Smooth: Wave height less than 0.5 m Slight: Wave height of 0.5 to 1.25 m Moderate: Wave height of 1.25 to 2.5 m Rough: Wave height of 2.5 to 4.0 m Very Rough: Wave height of 4.0 to 6.0 m High: Wave height of 6.0 to 9.0 m Very High: Wave height of 9.0 to 14.0 m Phenomenal: Wave height more than 14.0 m MOVEMENT OF PRESSURE SYSTEMS
Slowly: Moving at less than 15 knots Steadily: Moving at 15 to 25 knots Rather Quickly: Moving at 25 to 35 knots Rapidly: Moving at 35 to 45 knots Very Rapidly: Moving at more than 45 knots PRESSURE TENDENCY IN STATION REPORTS
Rising (or falling) more slowly: Pressure rising (or falling) at a progressively slower rate through the preceding three hours Rising (or falling) slowly: Pressure change of 0.1 to 1.5 hPa in the preceding three hours Rising (or falling): Pressure change of 1.6 to 3.5 hPa in the preceding three hours Rising (or falling) quickly: Pressure change of 3.6 to 6.0 hPa in the preceding three hours Rising (or falling) v. rapidly: Pressure change of more than 6.0 hPa in the preceding three hours Now rising (or falling): Pressure has been falling (rising) or steady in the preceding three hours, but at the time of observation was definitely rising (falling) |
The language of the forecast is complex to understand unless the listener understands how the rules work. For example:
“ Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, four or five, increasing six soon, rain or slight drizzle, good.” People listening to the forecast would understand this as "In the English Channel, there are strong winds, followed by a stronger wind in less than twelve hours time with some light rain, but good visibility”. The numbers refer to the Beaufort Scale of wind strength. Imminent means within 6 hours, soon between 6 and 12, and later meaning after 12 hours. Right: This is a PDF by the UK Sea Kayak Guidebook on understand the forecasts. It's broken down into the fragments of what's said and what means what. It's an overall breakdown, it doesn't detail different scenarios. |
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"Occasionally rain, good"
"Light icing" "Losing Identity" There are phrases you can make out of the Shipping Forecasts which create different stories altogether, they force imagery and question into your mind. |
These little phrases such as "light icing" has multiple meanings, those to sailors, those to land lubbers and also cake lovers. It brings a humour and light hearted tone to the forecasts which otherwise becomes a serious yet melodic and hypnotic poem. These could be interesting to work with, especially with the potential of imagery. It could be a project within this project to create posters relating to these obscure and unusual phrases.
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