Inmarsat Launches Maritime Safety Data Hub
The new platform combines distress-call records with analysis of maritime safety broadcasts to inform shipping safety decisions.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Forecasts
Inmarsat Maritime has launched the Maritime Safety Data Hub, which combines Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) call data with analysis of maritime safety broadcasts. The platform's analysis found that 84.6% of urgent safety broadcasts in 2025 were related to weather.
Why it matters
Weather is the dominant driver of urgent maritime safety messages, and the Hub's data shows that around 10 weather warnings were typically broadcast in the 12 hours before a distress event. Shipping operators and crews can use these patterns to anticipate hazards more effectively.
Of 106,975 maritime safety broadcasts in 2025, 2.6% were marked urgent, and Inmarsat analysis attributed 84.6% of those urgent broadcasts to weather. Cyclones made up 4% of meteorological hazards but over 99% of urgent weather messages.
The players
Inmarsat
Inmarsat is a global satellite communications company whose maritime division provides distress and safety communications services to ships worldwide.
SeaFocus International
SeaFocus International is a research firm that worked with Inmarsat to conduct interviews with maritime safety experts for the Hub's development.
The details
SeaFocus International conducted a series of interviews with maritime safety experts as part of the Hub's development. The analysis also found that storms and gales made up 75% of meteorological hazards, with gales alone accounting for 20%.
Timeline
2023: 788 GMDSS calls recorded
2024: 801 GMDSS calls recorded
2025: 741 GMDSS calls recorded and 106,975 safety broadcasts made
Seasonal Patterns
The Hub builds on the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), the internationally mandated distress-alerting framework for ships. Its finding that cyclones dominate urgent weather messages adds a broadcast-level view to GMDSS call records.
Vessel operators and crews should review weather warnings in the hours before departure and during passage, since the Hub's data shows around 10 weather warnings were typically broadcast in the 12 hours before distress events. Maintaining reliable GMDSS equipment and monitoring safety broadcasts remain the practical steps for limiting exposure to weather-driven emergencies.
The takeaway
Weather drives most urgent maritime safety messages, so monitoring forecasts and broadcast warnings is central to reducing distress risk at sea. The Hub's data gives operators a clearer picture of where that risk concentrates.
Further reading
For broader context on storm and gale tracking that shapes these warnings, see our Forecasts section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hellenic Shipping News.
