Shipping Forecast excluding the header line, has a limit of 350 words—except for the 0048 broadcast, where it is increased to 380 to accommodate Trafalgar's inclusion—and has a very strict format. It begins with "And now the Shipping Forecast, issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at xxxx today." This format is followed quite strictly, although some continuity announcers read out the actual date of issue as opposed to the word "today". This is followed by gale warnings (winds of force 8 or more on the Beaufort scale), if any (e.g., "There are warnings of gales
Blow the Wind Southerly wind south o'er the bonny blue sea; Blow the wind southerly, southerly, southerly, Blow bonnie breeze, my lover to me. They told me last night there were ships in the offing, And I hurried down to the deep rolling sea; But my eye could not see it wherever might be it, The barque that is bearing my lover to me. CHORUS I stood by the lighthouse the last time we parted, Till darkness came down o'er the deep rolling sea, And no longer I saw the bright bark of my lover. Blow, bonny breeze and bring him to me. CHORUS