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VHF channel 16 and DSC channel 70 are the international distress channels, but who keeps watch, which coast stations broadcast and when the marine forecast goes out differ by country.
Below: each country’s coast radio and official marine weather, from the authorities’ own pages.
Every entry is a plain-English summary of the authority's own wording — open “sources” to read the exact quote. 101 countries with an official answer so far.
Distress watch: MRCC Oostende coordinates rescue in the Belgian part of the North Sea and listens continuously on the distress frequencies; it can be called on VHF 16/67.
Weather: The coastal forecast (kustweerbericht) for the Belgian coast and the channels to the Scheldt and coastal ports is made by the KMI station in Oostende, updated four times a day and free at www.kustweerbericht.be.
Distress watch: The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Bulgarian Maritime Administration is the national rescue centre for distress, accidents and pollution at sea in the Bulgarian Search and Rescue Region.
Weather: The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH, meteo.bg) issues sea forecasts, published on its Sea State page.
Distress watch: Plovput's three coast radio stations, Rijeka Radio, Split Radio and Dubrovnik Radio, keep radio service running permanently (24/7/365). VHF channel 16 is for distress calls and VHF channel 70 for DSC calls.
Coast radio: Scheduled VHF maritime safety information broadcasts: Rijeka Radio uses channels 04, 19, 20, 23, 24, 81 and 85 at 05:30, 12:30, 19:30 and 00:30 UTC. Split Radio uses channels 07, 21, 23, 28, 81 and 84 at 05:45, 12:45, 19:45 and 00:45 UTC. Dubrovnik Radio uses channels 04, 07, 28 and 85 at 06:20, 13:20, 20:20 and 01:20 UTC.
Weather: The Marine Meteorological Center of the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) in Split issues the Adriatic marine forecast on meteo.hr.
Distress watch: Lyngby Radio (operated by the Danish Defence) keeps a 24-hour watch on VHF 16 and DSC and raises the alarm for vessels in distress, working closely with JRCC Denmark.
Coast radio: Lyngby Radio is the coast station; its working channels vary by area. Make routine calls first on channel 16 and the operator moves you to a working channel.
Weather: DMI's Danish marine forecasts (farvandsudsigter) are updated daily just before 05:45, 11:45 and 17:45 and broadcast on long wave 243 kHz at 05:45, 08:45, 11:45 and 17:45.
Distress watch: The rescue coordination centre JRCC Tallinn answers on VHF 16 and 69 under the call sign 'Tallinn Rescue' (Estonian: Tallinn Merevalvekeskus).
Coast radio: Tallinn Radio broadcasts weather, storm and navigational warnings for the Baltic and Lake Peipus on VHF 01, 03, 05, 07, 20, 26 and 27. VHF 13 is used for sea rescue and safety and is the working channel of Tallinn VTS (Gulf of Finland traffic); small craft are recommended to report to the VTS.
Weather: Tallinn Radio reads the Baltic Sea and Lake Peipus forecast on its working channels at 06:33 and 15:33 local time, in Estonian and English.
Distress watch: MRCC Tórshavn coordinates search and rescue in Faroese waters and is staffed 24 hours a day, together with Tórshavn Radio, which keeps a constant watch on the MF and VHF DSC channels and listens on 2182 kHz and VHF 16.
Coast radio: Since 1 January 2016 Tórshavn Radio no longer connects ship-to-shore calls; it still handles distress, urgency and safety traffic.
Weather: DMI's marine forecasts for the Faroe Islands are updated daily at 05:15, 09:00, 16:30 and 22:30 local time and broadcast on 2182 kHz and VHF 16.
Distress watch: Maritime rescue is run by the Finnish Border Guard: MRCC Turku and MRSC Helsinki keep watch on VHF 16, DSC 70 and MF DSC 2187.5 kHz. National maritime SAR alarm number +358 294 1000; on inland waters call 112.
Coast radio: Finland has no public coast radio for routine calls; vessel traffic services work on their own channels, e.g. Archipelago VTS on VHF 71 and Port of Turku on VHF 12.
Weather: The Finnish Meteorological Institute's Merisää (marine weather) map service shows sea conditions; before setting out, check current warnings and the weather report for mariners.
Distress watch: At sea, call on VHF channel 16: it connects you directly with the CROSS (regional rescue centre) for your area.
Weather: The CROSS announces weather bulletins on VHF 16 and reads them on channels 79 and 80; Météo-France special bulletins (BMS, gale warnings) are also broadcast via channel 16. Channels 63 and 64 carry a continuous coastal forecast loop in the Morbihan, Charente-Maritime and the Mediterranean (not Corsica).
Distress watch: MRCC Bremen of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) keeps a 24-hour watch as 'Bremen Rescue' on VHF 16, DSC 70 and MF DSC 2187.5 kHz.
Weather: The German Weather Service (DWD) broadcasts sea weather reports, warnings and weather messages several times a day at fixed times on long and short wave from its Pinneberg transmitter.
Coast radio: The Gibraltar Port Authority runs a 24/7 Vessel Traffic Service that monitors and co-ordinates vessel movements in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. Gibraltar's marinas give VHF channel 71 as their radio contact.
Coast radio: Greece has three NAVTEX stations: Iraklio (South Aegean), Kerkyra/Corfu (Ionian Sea) and Limnos (Aegean). They broadcast in English on 518 kHz and in Greek on 490 kHz.
Weather: HNMS (emy.gr/en/marine) publishes a shipping forecast covering the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It warns that gusts can be 40% stronger than forecast and maximum wave height up to twice the significant height.
Distress watch: The Icelandic Coast Guard operations centre is the JRCC for Iceland's search and rescue region; it answers all emergency calls, monitors the Coast Guard's radio frequencies and is staffed 24 hours a day.
Weather: The Icelandic Meteorological Office publishes shipping forecasts and gale warnings for each sea area (banks and deep-sea banks), written by the duty meteorologist.
Distress watch: Irish Coast Guard radio stations around the coast work on VHF 16 and DSC 70 (channel 67 is available but not always monitored). In distress you can also dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
Coast radio: Coast Guard working channels (since December 2020): Dublin 03, Rosslare 05, Mine Head 03, Cork 02, Bantry 05, Valentia 62, Shannon 64, Belmullet 63, Clifden 03, Malin Head 05, Glen Head 03; unchanged: Carlingford 04, Wicklow 02, Mizen Head 04, Galway 04, Clew Bay 05, Donegal Bay 02.
Weather: Met Éireann's Sea Area Forecast covers Irish coastal waters out to 30 nautical miles and the Irish Sea, issued four times a day. Coast Guard stations announce it on VHF 16 and read it on their working channel every 3 hours from 01:03 local time; Small Craft Warnings are issued for Force 6 or more within 10 nm.
Distress watch: The Italian Coast Guard Headquarters is the national Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (IMRCC). The Maritime Directorates act as sub-centres (MRSC) for their part of the Italian SAR area, which reaches far beyond territorial waters.
Weather: The Aeronautica Militare weather service publishes the METEOMAR bulletin for the Mediterranean (meteoam.it). The Coast Guard issues urgent navigational warnings and weather bulletins through the national NAVTEX network on 518 kHz (English) and 490 kHz (Italian).
Distress watch: The Coast Guard Service's Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) keeps a 24-hour watch on VHF 16 and 2182 kHz, call sign 'Riga Rescue Radio', with DSC on VHF 70 and 2187.5 kHz.
Distress watch: The Lithuanian Navy's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre answers as 'Klaipeda Rescue' on VHF 16, with DSC on VHF 70 and 2187.5 kHz; in an emergency call 112.
Weather: The Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service publishes marine forecasts for the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon, with daily maps of water temperature, salinity, currents and waves.
Distress watch: The Armed Forces of Malta Operations Centre is the Malta Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and coordinates all SAR incidents in the Malta Search and Rescue Region.
Coast radio: The same centre runs the Malta Coast Radio Station. It keeps a continuous watch on the international distress frequencies on VHF (coverage up to about 20 NM) and MF (about 200 NM), and sends safety messages on NAVTEX.
Weather: The Malta MET Office (run by Malta International Airport) publishes a Mariners Forecast covering 50 NM around the Maltese coast.
Weather: The Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro (ZHMS) publishes a forecast for mariners for the southern Adriatic for the next 24 hours on meteo.co.me.
Distress watch: The Netherlands Coastguard keeps a permanent listening watch on VHF 16, and DSC watch on VHF 70 and MF 2187.5 kHz.
Coast radio: The Coastguard broadcasts navigation and safety messages on VHF 23 and 83 (MF 1890/3673 kHz), announced a few minutes before on VHF 16, at 03:33, 07:33, 11:33, 15:33, 19:33 and 23:33 UTC.
Weather: The Coastguard broadcasts the weather forecast on VHF 23 and 83 at 08:05, 13:05, 19:05 and 23:05 Dutch local time, and on MF 1890 and 3673 kHz at 09:40 and 21:40 UTC.
Distress watch: The coast radio stations monitor VHF 16 and their working channels continuously and receive DSC distress alerts. Since 1 January 2026 they are run by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
Coast radio: The coast radio stations cover the whole Norwegian coast, north of Svalbard and far out to sea.
Weather: The coast radio stations broadcast weather forecasts and navigational warnings every three hours; you can ask for updated weather if you missed a broadcast.
Distress watch: Sea rescue is run by the Maritime Search and Rescue Service (Służba SAR), coordinated by MRCK Gdynia and MPCK Świnoujście; call on VHF 16, with VHF 11 as the SAR operational channel.
Weather: Official marine weather for Polish sea areas, the coastal zone and strong-wind/storm warnings comes from IMGW (meteo.imgw.pl, baltyk.imgw.pl).
Weather: IPMA (the Portuguese met service) publishes marine navigation (METAREA) bulletins for mainland Portugal (area 22°W–07°W, 35°N–45°N), Madeira and the Azores at ipma.pt.
Coast radio: Koper VTS (Slovenian Maritime Administration) manages traffic in Slovenian waters. Recreational craft of 45 m and over must take part. They call one hour before entering and keep a continuous watch on VHF channel 69. Koper VTS also gives weather and maritime safety information.
Weather: The Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO, meteo.si) publishes a special forecast for the Slovenian coastal region, including a wind and sea forecast. Sea state uses the Douglas scale.
Distress watch: Spain's coast radio network keeps a permanent watch on VHF 16 and DSC 70, reaching about 35 nm offshore (sea area A1).
Coast radio: VHF and MF coast stations broadcast AEMET weather bulletins and navigational warnings on their working channels after an announcement on VHF 16 (MF 2182 kHz). NAVTEX is transmitted from Tarifa, Coruña, Cabo la Nao and Las Palmas.
Weather: Marine forecasts come from AEMET (www.aemet.es). They are broadcast on VHF by the Salvamento Marítimo centres and coast stations and by NAVTEX; AEMET's METEONAV gives sea-state forecasts for a planned route.
Distress watch: JRCC Sweden ('Sweden Rescue') monitors VHF 16 along the whole Swedish coast and on lakes Vänern, Vättern and Mälaren; DSC calls to MMSI 002653000. Alternatively call 112 and ask for the JRCC.
Coast radio: Sjöfartsverket's coast radio network (56 VHF and 5 MF base stations) carries DSC, NAVTEX and broadcasts of weather and navigational warnings; the JRCC keeps a 24-hour watch on channel 16.
Weather: SMHI publishes Sjörapporten, the sea-weather outlook for the next 24 hours (low-bandwidth version at smhi.se/sjorapporten); weather is also broadcast over Sjöfartsverket's coast radio base stations.
Weather: The Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM) publishes marine forecasts, including a 3-day forecast, on its Piri Reis marine pages (pirireis.mgm.gov.tr).
Distress watch: HM Coastguard: in an emergency at sea send a Mayday on VHF channel 16, or call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Coastguard VHF coverage reaches about 30 nautical miles from the coast (MF about 150 miles).
Coast radio: HM Coastguard broadcasts Maritime Safety Information (gale warnings, inshore forecasts, navigation warnings) on VHF 62, 63 or 64 (sometimes 10), after an announcement on VHF 16.
Weather: The Met Office issues the Shipping Forecast four times a day (23:00, 05:00, 11:00, 17:00 UTC) and the Inshore Waters Forecast every six hours from 05:00 UTC; inshore forecasts are broadcast by the Coastguard on VHF every three hours.
Weather: The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services issues forecasts and tropical-cyclone watches and warnings for Antigua and Barbuda (antiguamet.com).
Distress watch: The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) covers the waters of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius; search and rescue is coordinated 24/7 by its Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Curaçao.
Coast radio: Aruba Ports Authority's Marine Traffic Control Tower (coast station) operates 24/7 on VHF channels 16 and 11; call Aruba Ports Authority on channel 16 before entering port.
Weather: The Bahamas Department of Meteorology (met.gov.bs) publishes a Bahamas Marine Forecast. The Bahamas tourism ministry also advises boaters to tune to NOAA weather on the VHF weather channels for marine advisories.
Coast radio: Approaching yachts call the Bridgetown Signal Station (call sign 8PB) on VHF channel 12 for permission to enter the Deep Water Harbour.
Weather: The Barbados Meteorological Services publishes a 5-day marine forecast at barbadosweather.org.
Distress watch: Bermuda Maritime Operations (Bermuda Radio, ZBR) keeps a continuous 24-hour watch on VHF 16 and 27 and on MF 2182 kHz.
Coast radio: Bermuda Radio (call sign ZBR) broadcasts safety and weather information on a fixed schedule, for example at 00:35 GMT. Each broadcast is announced on VHF 16/MF 2182 kHz and read on VHF 27/MF 2582 kHz. NAVTEX is on 518 kHz (station B).
Weather: The Bermuda Weather Service local marine forecast runs continuously on VHF weather channel 2 (162.4 MHz), followed in season by tropical advisories and the NHC Tropical Weather Outlook. It is updated at 05:30, 11:30, 16:30 and 23:30 local time.
Distress watch: The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) covers the waters of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius; search and rescue is coordinated 24/7 by its Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Curaçao.
Weather: Meteo Curaçao (Meteorological Department Curaçao) provides the meteorological service for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
Weather: The Cayman Islands National Weather Service publishes a daily forecast with wind and sea state (wave heights) at weather.gov.ky/forecast.
Distress watch: The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) covers the waters of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius; search and rescue is coordinated 24/7 by its Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Curaçao.
Weather: The Meteorological Department Curaçao publishes a daily marine forecast for the seas around Curaçao at meteo.cw.
Distress watch: Sea rescue in the French Antilles is coordinated by CROSS Antilles-Guyane (MRCC Fort-de-France), which keeps watch on VHF channel 16; French CROSS centres ask you to call on VHF 16 at sea.
Coast radio: CROSS Antilles-Guyane broadcasts the Guadeloupe coastal forecast four times a day from VHF transmitters on channels 79, 80 and 64 — e.g. Morne à Louis ch 79 at 08:00, 11:30, 19:00, 21:00 and Marie-Galante ch 64 at 08:20, 11:50, 19:20, 21:20 local (2022 Météo-France table).
Weather: Météo-France Guadeloupe issues the official marine forecasts (special warnings, coastal and offshore bulletins) at meteofrance.gp/fr/marine.
Weather: The Meteorological Service of Jamaica publishes a Marine Forecast on its daily-forecast page. The Maritime Authority of Jamaica tells mariners to monitor the Met Service's official updates and warnings.
Distress watch: Sea rescue in the French Antilles is coordinated by CROSS Antilles-Guyane (MRCC Fort-de-France), which keeps watch on VHF channel 16; French CROSS centres ask you to call on VHF 16 at sea.
Coast radio: CROSS Antilles-Guyane broadcasts the Martinique coastal forecast four times a day from four VHF transmitters on channels 79 and 80 — e.g. Le Marin ch 79 at 07:20, 10:50, 18:20, 20:20 and La Caravelle ch 80 at 07:50, 11:20, 18:50, 20:50 local (2022 Météo-France table).
Weather: Météo-France Martinique issues the official marine forecasts (special warnings, coastal and offshore bulletins) at meteofrance.mq/fr/marine.
Coast radio: Port security at Port Little Bay answers on VHF channel 16 around the clock.
Weather: The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services issues the local forecast (including sea state) and tropical-cyclone warnings for Montserrat.
Distress watch: Sea rescue in the French Antilles is coordinated by CROSS Antilles-Guyane (MRCC Fort-de-France), which keeps watch on VHF channel 16; French CROSS centres ask you to call on VHF 16 at sea.
Coast radio: The nearest CROSS Antilles-Guyane coastal-forecast VHF transmitter listed for the northern islands is Pic Paradis on Saint-Martin: channel 64 at 09:00, 12:30, 20:00 and 22:00 local time (2022 Météo-France table).
Weather: Météo-France Guadeloupe issues the official marine forecasts (special warnings, coastal and offshore bulletins) for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin at meteofrance.gp/fr/marine.
Distress watch: Sea rescue in the French Antilles is coordinated by CROSS Antilles-Guyane (MRCC Fort-de-France), which keeps watch on VHF channel 16; French CROSS centres ask you to call on VHF 16 at sea.
Coast radio: CROSS Antilles-Guyane broadcasts the coastal forecast on VHF from a transmitter at Pic Paradis, Saint-Martin: channel 64 at 09:00, 12:30, 20:00 and 22:00 local time (2022 Météo-France table).
Weather: Météo-France Guadeloupe issues the official marine forecasts (special warnings, coastal and offshore bulletins) for Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy at meteofrance.gp/fr/marine.
Distress watch: The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) covers the waters of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius; search and rescue is coordinated 24/7 by its Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Curaçao.
Weather: The Meteorological Department St. Maarten (MDS) issues public forecasts, advisories and warnings for Sint Maarten (meteosxm.com); Meteo Curaçao also provides services for the island.
Weather: The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services issues the local forecast (including sea state) and tropical-cyclone warnings for St Kitts and Nevis.
Coast radio: Vigie Lighthouse (Castries) is listed as a contact on VHF 16, telephone +1 758 452 5939.
Weather: The SVG Meteorological Services (Argyle) issues forecasts with sea conditions and marine advisories/warnings at meteo.gov.vc.
Weather: The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service publishes marine forecasts and tides (metoffice.gov.tt/marine-forecast).
Distress watch: Before sailing, the Prefectura Naval Argentina asks boaters to report the boat, everyone on board, departure and return times and the sailing area. The report can be made in person, by phone or on VHF 16 (156.800 MHz), the exclusive emergency channel.
Weather: The Naval Hydrographic Service (SHN) issues urgent navigational warnings (NAVAREA VI) 24 hours a day. Mariners should receive the warnings by SafetyNET II, SafetyCast or NAVTEX. For local weather, the Prefectura points to its nearest office or the national weather service (SMN).
Distress watch: The Belize Port Authority says: in a maritime emergency, dial 966 or call on VHF channel 16. The National Maritime Communication Center and the Belize Coast Guard monitor marine radio.
Weather: The National Meteorological Service of Belize issues a marine forecast twice a day for offshore areas. It covers wind, sea temperature, wave height, small-craft cautions and warnings.
Distress watch: Brazil's national coast-station network (RENEC), run by Embratel, works on VHF and HF and passes distress calls on to the Navy's SALVAMAR search-and-rescue service.
Weather: The Navy Hydrographic Centre (CHM) issues the METEOROMARINHA forecast for Brazil's sea area. Bad-weather warnings are issued for wind of force 7 (28 kn) or more, waves of 3 m or more, visibility of 1 km or less, and 'ressaca' swell of 2.5 m or more reaching the coast.
Distress watch: The Chilean maritime authority's coast-station list includes stations watching VHF 16 (156.800 MHz), some of them around the clock, such as Picton Radio (CBM-36). Coastal-class yachts sailing beyond the range of their VHF DSC set must carry MF/HF DSC or satellite communications that can reach coast stations.
Coast radio: DIRECTEMAR runs a national network of coast radio stations (157 in its 2013 handbook update).
Weather: The Chilean Navy Weather Service (meteoarmada.directemar.cl) publishes a general marine forecast and separate forecasts for the channels and inland waters (Patagonia), the islands and the open ocean. Chile issues the SafetyNET forecasts for METAREA XV. Navigational warnings are broadcast on NAVTEX; those valid for more than six weeks move to SHOA's website.
Distress watch: In port areas with a maritime traffic-control station, recreational boats report their departure to the traffic-control station on VHF 16.
Weather: Port captaincies broadcast colour-coded sea-state alerts for recreational boating on VHF 16. Under a red alert, all water sports and recreational activities are banned.
Weather: The national met service (IMN) publishes a marine forecast layer on its interactive map.
Weather: INOCAR, the Ecuadorian Navy's oceanographic institute (inocar.mil.ec), publishes notices to mariners, port weather reports, El Niño bulletins and swell and spring-tide ('oleaje y aguaje') bulletins.
Weather: MARN's Observatorio de Amenazas y Recursos Naturales publishes a maritime forecast and a daily wave forecast on snet.gob.sv.
Distress watch: The French rescue coordination centre for the Antilles and French Guiana is CROSS Antilles-Guyane. At sea, call it on VHF 16.
Weather: The local maritime administration (DGTM Guyane) tells boaters to always check the local weather forecast before going out, on meteofrance.fr.
Weather: INSIVUMEH, the national met service, publishes ocean forecasts: tides, waves, surface winds, and sea-surface temperature and salinity.
Weather: CENAOS (COPECO) gives wave heights for the Caribbean coast and the Gulf of Fonseca in its daily forecast, and publishes two-month ocean forecasts by zone.
Distress watch: Mexico's coast stations receive distress calls on VHF channel 70 (DSC) or voice channel 16.
Coast radio: There are 6 coast stations along the Pacific coast and 7 on the Gulf.
Weather: The Mexican Navy (SEMAR) meteorology service publishes marine forecasts for the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean and for the Pacific: a synopsis at 05:00 and forecasts at 08:00, 12:00 and 20:00.
Weather: INETER publishes a weekly ocean-atmosphere forecast bulletin (Boletín de Pronóstico Oceánico – Atmosférico), written for fishers.
Weather: The Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá (IMHPA) issues weather warnings, and the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) relays them to small craft and pleasure yachts.
Weather: The Peruvian Navy's Hydrography and Navigation Directorate (DIHIDRONAV, dhn.mil.pe) publishes NAVAREA XVI navigational warnings in daily broadcast bulletins. It also publishes METAREA XVI weather forecasts for the oceanic and coastal zones.
Coast radio: The Saint-Pierre harbour office (capitainerie) authorises all movements in the port on VHF 12. Every vessel anchored in the Saint-Pierre roadstead must keep a permanent watch on VHF 16 and 12.
Weather: INUMET, Uruguay's official weather service, issues a daily marine bulletin at 12:00 local time (15:00 UTC), valid for 24 hours. It covers the Río Uruguay, the Río de la Plata and Uruguay's territorial sea. The source is an example bulletin from 2021.
Distress watch: The Hong Kong MRCC is staffed 24 hours a day with a GMDSS operator on duty. In an emergency call the Vessel Traffic Centre on VHF 02, 12, 14, 63 or 67, or phone the MRCC on +852 2233 7999.
Coast radio: The Vessel Traffic Centre (call sign "Mardep") keeps a continuous watch on VHF 02, 12, 14, 63 and 67. Visiting yachts at designated anchorages must keep a continuous watch on the designated VHF channel.
Weather: Hong Kong Observatory marine forecasts for 10 sea areas go out on NAVTEX from Hong Kong Coast Radio Station daily at 0150, 0550, 0950, 1350, 1750 and 2150 UTC.
Weather: BMKG publishes Indonesian maritime weather forecasts, including shipping-route forecasts and high-wave warnings, at maritim.bmkg.go.id.
Distress watch: The Japan Coast Guard keeps a 24-hour watch on the GMDSS distress frequencies from 12 shore radio stations and from patrol vessels at sea.
Coast radio: Regional Coast Guard headquarters broadcast urgent local navigational warnings by VHF voice in Japanese and English. In Okinawa (11th Region) the coast station is called "Okinawa Hoan" (おきなわほあん) on VHF channel 16, with repeats at 10:10 and 16:10.
Weather: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues marine forecasts six times a day and marine warnings four to eight times a day. Warnings are also broadcast by Japan Coast Guard radio and sent through SafetyNET (Inmarsat EGC).
Distress watch: MRCC Putrajaya keeps a 24-hour watch on VHF Ch 16 (156.800 MHz), DSC Ch 70 (156.525 MHz) and 2182 kHz.
Weather: MetMalaysia publishes a Marine Forecast for Shipping by sea area (e.g. Northern and Southern Straits of Melaka, Samui, Tioman, Labuan, Sulu) and issues Strong Wind & Rough Seas warnings. The first warning level (winds 40–50 km/h and/or waves up to 3.5 m) is classed as dangerous to small craft and all recreational activities and water sports.
Weather: PAGASA issues Gale Warnings and Tropical Cyclone Warnings for Shipping on pagasa.dost.gov.ph.
Distress watch: MPA's Port Operations Control Centre (POCC), Singapore's maritime rescue centre, watches VHF Ch 16 and DSC Ch 70 round the clock. 24-hour contact: VHF 16, +65 6226 5539 or +65 6325 2493.
Coast radio: Vessel traffic (VTIS) works on VHF Ch 7, 10, 14 and 73. Harbour and pleasure craft must report navigational hazards, unsafe conditions and incidents to MPA's Marine Safety Control Centre on VHF Ch 07 or +65 6325 2488 / +65 6325 2489.
Weather: MPA's POCC broadcasts navigational warnings and weather on VHF Ch 9 every two hours from 0100 UTC and on NAVTEX (station C); the weather bulletin goes out at 0020 and 1220 UTC. The Meteorological Service Singapore publishes a 24-hour marine forecast on weather.gov.sg.
Weather: The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) publishes short-range marine forecasts for each Korean sea area on its Weather Nuri website. Visitors can also call 131 in Korea for a weather forecast in English.
Weather: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) publishes inshore and offshore fishery (marine) forecasts and typhoon warnings in English on its website.
Distress watch: Search and rescue is coordinated by the Bangkok Rescue Co-ordination Centre. Thai SAR units work on VHF Ch 16 and DSC Ch 70, and HF/SSB 6215 kHz (DSC 6312 kHz).
Coast radio: Bangkok Radio is the coast station responsible for communications with merchant shipping; it and the Royal Thai Police Marine Police can help coordinate search and rescue missions.
Weather: The Thai Meteorological Department publishes a 24-hour weather forecast for shipping (weather, wind, wave height) for the Gulf of Thailand and for the Andaman Sea and Malacca Strait.
Distress watch: The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (Vietnam MRCC, Hanoi) keeps a 24/7 maritime search-and-rescue duty desk: +84 24 3768 3050.
Coast radio: Vietnam has a chain of coast radio stations (Đài thông tin duyên hải, TTDH) from Móng Cái to Kiên Giang, with regional master stations at Hải Phòng (I), Đà Nẵng (II), Nha Trang (III) and Hồ Chí Minh City (IV).
Weather: The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) publishes a 24-hour sea weather forecast and bulletins on strong winds, high waves and thunderstorms at sea on nchmf.gov.vn.
Weather: The Coastal Waters Forecast is issued by the NWS Weather Service Office in Pago Pago; the High Seas Forecast for the South Pacific is issued by NWS Honolulu. NOAA Weather Radio stations WZ2529 (162.550 MHz) and WNG710 (162.400 MHz) serve American Samoa.
Weather: The Cook Islands lie inside the area of Fiji Meteorological Service's South West Pacific marine bulletin (Equator to 25°S, 160°E–120°W).
Weather: Fiji Meteorological Service issues the marine weather bulletins and tropical cyclone updates; MSAF says they are transmitted by Suva Coast Radio Station (3DP) and also broadcast by commercial radio stations.
Weather: Météo-France Polynésie française publishes the official marine forecast bulletin by sea zone, with special bulletins (BMS) when mean wind reaches 28 knots or more.
Weather: NOAA's National Weather Service office in Guam issues the Micronesian coastal waters forecast, which covers waters within 40 nautical miles of Delap, Majuro.
Weather: NOAA's National Weather Service office in Guam issues the Micronesian coastal waters forecast, which covers waters within 40 nautical miles of Yap, Weno (Chuuk), Pohnpei and Kosrae.
Distress watch: In difficulty at sea, call COSS NC on VHF channel 16, or dial 16 from a landline or mobile (free).
Weather: COSS NC broadcasts the offshore ('LARGE') marine bulletin on VHF 65 four times a day (in the 06–07, 11–12, 16–17 and 21–22 h slots) and the lagoon ('LAGON') bulletin on VHF 66 once an hour.
Weather: NOAA's National Weather Service office in Guam issues the Micronesian coastal waters forecast, which covers waters within 40 nautical miles of Koror, Palau.
Weather: Samoa's waters lie inside the area of Fiji Meteorological Service's South West Pacific marine bulletin (Equator to 25°S, 160°E–120°W). The UK FCDO points to the Samoa Meteorology Division and Fiji Met for cyclone updates.
Weather: Tonga Meteorological Services issues a marine weather bulletin with warnings and forecasts for the Niuas, Vava'u, Ha'apai, Tongatapu and 'Eua coastal waters, and publishes 10-day wind, swell and sea-state forecasts.
Weather: Vanuatu's waters lie inside the area of Fiji Meteorological Service's South West Pacific marine bulletin (Equator to 25°S, 160°E–120°W); the UK FCDO also points to the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department.
Weather: The Egyptian Meteorological Authority publishes a three-day Red Sea forecast and a Mediterranean forecast, with navigation conditions for both seas, on its website (archived copy; the live site did not respond).
Weather: The Israel Meteorological Service publishes a 'Forecast for Mariners' page.
Weather: The Maldives Meteorological Service publishes a daily marine forecast (weather, wind in knots, seas and wave height) alongside its general forecast.
Weather: Mauritius Meteorological Services issues a forecast for fishermen of Mauritius and Rodrigues twice daily. When heavy swells are expected, it issues a high-waves Special Communiqué, as far as practicable about 12 hours in advance.
Distress watch: The regional MRCC is CROSS Sud océan Indien at the Port des Galets naval base in Réunion. It handles search and rescue and navigation surveillance; the surveillance mission is set by order of the prefects of Réunion and, by delegation, Mayotte. The pages checked do not say whether Mayotte has a separate sub-centre.
Weather: Météo-France Mayotte publishes marine forecasts for the lagoon and the open sea (grand large), including forecasts for the ACK.
Weather: Oman Meteorology (Civil Aviation Authority) publishes a sea-state forecast with wave heights and marine warnings for Oman's coasts.
Distress watch: Search and rescue is run by CROSS Sud océan Indien (an MRCC) at the Port des Galets naval base. It also monitors shipping and broadcasts nautical and weather information.
Weather: Météo-France La Réunion publishes coastal (Côte), offshore (Large) and high-seas (Grand Large) marine forecasts and special weather bulletins (BMS). The Direction de la mer links to them.
Distress watch: The Saudi Red Sea Authority says marine emergency communication is by VHF radio and the distress equipment on board. The Border Guard can be reached on 994, and the Yacht Operations Center on 1980 (+966 1980 from abroad).
Weather: The National Center for Meteorology provides marine forecasts for Saudi waters, with early warnings of wind, waves and currents.
Weather: The Seychelles Meteorological Authority issues a 24-hour marine forecast for three sea regions: Mahé (with Praslin, La Digue and the inner islands), the Amirantes, and Aldabra.
Distress watch: In and near Abu Dhabi port areas, the Vessel Traffic and Information System broadcasts instructions on VHF. Boats with radios must monitor the right channels for their area, especially Channel 16 (emergencies). The UAE Coast Guard emergency line at sea is 996.
Weather: The National Center of Meteorology runs 'Al Bahar', its marine weather service with sea conditions, warnings and a marine bulletin (archived copy from 2022; the live NCM site was not reachable).
Distress watch: The Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (RMRCC) Mombasa, run by the Kenya Maritime Authority, works 24/7. The ITU coast-station list shows it keeping a 24-hour watch on VHF channel 16 and DSC channel 70 (call sign 5ZM22, MMSI 006341000).
Coast radio: Mombasa port's Vessel Traffic Management Information System (Kenya Ports Authority VTMIS) listens on VHF channel 16 for distress, safety and calling.
Weather: The Kenya Meteorological Department publishes a Daily Marine Near Shore Forecast and a 7-day marine forecast for Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu counties (meteo.go.ke).
Weather: Météo Madagascar (meteomadagascar.mg, 'Prévisions marines') publishes a daily coastal marine bulletin and a high-seas bulletin covering 10°S–30°S from the African coast to 60°E. For some bulletin types it refers mariners to the METAREA VII/VIII bulletins from the Mauritius and South African weather services.
Weather: Maroc Météo (Direction Générale de la Météorologie, marocmeteo.ma/fr/marine) runs a 24/7 marine service. It issues marine alert bulletins, a maritime vigilance map and coastal navigation forecasts, including for the Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Weather: The National Meteorology Institute (INAM, inam.gov.mz, in Portuguese) has a marine and coastal service ('Marinha e Costeira') and links to cyclone tracking by RSMC La Réunion.
Distress watch: VHF channel 16 is watched from 29 sites along the whole South African coast, from the Mozambique border to the Namibian border.
Coast radio: Coast radio station: Cape Town Radio (call sign ZSC), Milnerton, Cape Town; office phone +27 21 551 0700.
Weather: Weather forecasts are broadcast on VHF and on HF 4, 8 and 12 MHz, and by NAVTEX on 518 kHz (English) from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Columbine.
Weather: The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (meteo.go.tz) issues marine forecasts for ports, coastal waters and the high seas of the Indian Ocean, and warnings of strong winds and large waves.
Weather: The Institut National de la Météorologie (meteo.tn) publishes a coastal marine forecast, an offshore marine forecast and special weather bulletins (BMS) under its 'Marine' menu.
No official radio or weather source found yet for: Albania, Cyprus, Romania, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Turks & Caicos, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Cabo Verde.
Channel 16 for voice (MAYDAY, PAN-PAN, SÉCURITÉ) and channel 70 for DSC distress alerts — the same worldwide.
An automatic text broadcast of navigational and weather warnings on 518 kHz (international, in English) and 490 kHz (national languages), received by a NAVTEX receiver on board.
Emergency numbers by country → Rescue map → Printable emergency card →