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
Shipping Forecast party early, explaining that they must get back to listen to the Shipping Forecast. Paul asks why, seeing as they have never owned a boat. Howard explains, "Well, it takes us nicely into the news." Mentioned briefly in the film "Kes" (see "Art and Literature" section above). A recording of part of the forecast is played over the opening and closing credits of Rick Stein's 2000 TV series "Rick Stein's Seafood Lover's Guide". In an episode of the Channel 4 television series "Black Books", the character Fran Katzenjammer listens to the shipping forecast because a friend from her college is