Coast and sea
General situation
A relatively light and often variable flow will continue through tonight and into Friday, with showers in the north, but rain at times in the south may be heavy.
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
- North or northeast, 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west and north of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later near Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, becoming variable 2 to4 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming northeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, veering east or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly becoming variable, then becoming easterly or northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly becoming cyclonic later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east and later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time, increasing 5 or 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5,occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming east 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, backing north later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 west of Lizard Point.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at times near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers or occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 , occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, backing northerly or northwesterly later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel, becoming smooth or slight later except near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near st david's head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, veering southeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast, backing easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east or northeast, backing north later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north at first 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in northwest until later.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, but occasionally rough to the west of Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, occasionally rough at first to the west of Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, occasionally slight in south until later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC until Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A slack flow covers Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Friday 26 Apr until 0000 UTC on Saturday 27 Apr
- Wind
- Variable becoming southerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in far east
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 to 4, becoming variable cyclonic early morning, decreasing 1 to 3 in the evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell developing.
- Weather
- Widespread showers, locally heavy, perhaps with thunder, becoming isolated by mid-afternoon, clearing by late evening.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming northeasterly 2 to 4 in the morning, increasing 4 to 6 by dusk, veering north by midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate after dusk a low swell throughout.
- Weather
- Isolated showers developing around midday, merging into widespread rain late afternoon, locally heavy and perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate locally poor later.
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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