Eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean

Station

kHz

Times (UTC

Content

Sea Areas

Trieste (U)

518

0720/1920

As Rome

Central and Northern Adriatic

Split (Q)

518

Every 4 hours from 0240

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

Adriatic .

Kerkyra (K)

518

0540/0940 1740/2140

.24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook

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

Iraklion (Crete) (H)

518

0510/0910 1710/2110

.24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook

.

Limnos (L)

518

0550/0950 1750/2150

.24 hour forecast and 12 hour outlook

.

Haifa (P)

518

Every 4 hours from 0020

.

.

Black Sea

For historical reasons the Black Sea stations do not conform with the normal alphabetical broadcasting sequence. This will be resolved in the fullness of time.

Istanbul (D)

518

Every 4 hours from 0030

.

.

Mariupol (B)

518

0500/1300

.

.

Odessa (C)

518

1030/1830

.

.

Varna (J)

518

0530/1730

.

.

General Notes

·         Forecast areas are on my METAREAs I, II and III page. See also the Météo-Francele guide marine site.and Martin Stubbs' FAQ.

·         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 Monsanto broadcasts two separete NAVTEX messages in the same time slot

·         Note 4 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.