Coast and sea
General situation
An area of low pressure will move northwestwards across the southern North Sea during this evening, tonight and Wednesday, bringing a spell of locally very heavy rain to many areas. There will also be some thunderstorms in places, and fog patches will affect some eastern and northern coasts. The wind, although only light in many parts at first, will gradually strengthen during the next 24 hours.
Issued at:
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period to
Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable mainly northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough except in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, backing north or northeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6 veering northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain, mainly later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6 veering east 3 or 4, then backing northeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough for a time at first in north.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 or 3 backing north 3 to 5, then becoming cyclonic later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming westerly 4 or 5, backing southwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in east and 6 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate throughout in west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first, increasing 6 later in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north and 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later except in Solway Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later except in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 near the Mull of Galloway, but north or northwest 3 to 5 in Solway Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps becoming thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 or 3 increasing 4 or 5, then occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6 increasing 6 or 7, decreasing 5 or 6 again later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain, becoming occasional later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 later except in southeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then becoming rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 later in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in North Channel and 4 elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 21 May 2024 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 22 May 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure extending across the area from the north maintains an easterly or southeasterly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but fog patches in southwest
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in southwest
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 22 May until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 22 May
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but occasional showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3 across the northeast at first, elsewhere westerly 2 to 4, increasing west to northwest 3 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, becoming locally moderate overnight with a low swell developing by midday Wednesday.
- Weather
- Isolated showers until afternoon, risk of mist patches, mainly near the French coast overnight until early morning.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps local thunderstorms near French coasts from midday Thursday.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor at times.
The inshore waters forecast information
Forecasts for UK inshore waters are issued four times a day and cover a period of 24 hours from 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC.
The coastal waters around the British Isles are divided into 19 areas which extend up to 12 nautical miles offshore.
The forecast contains details of wind direction and force, sea state, weather and visibility.
Strong coastal winds (force 6 or more) are displayed for the first 24 hours of the inshore waters forecast.
Marine forecasts disclaimer
In the UK, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is responsible for the provision of Maritime Safety Information (MSI) to ships at sea, which includes the broadcast of warnings and forecasts. The Met Office initiates warnings and prepares routine forecasts for dissemination on behalf of the MCA.
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