General situation
High pressure centred to the west of the United Kingdom will remain nearly stationary and bring mostly settled conditions to western and northern areas during the next couple of days. However a northerly airflow will bring patchy rain or showers to eastern parts of England.
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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first near Rattray Head and 3 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later near Rattray Head.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later near Rattray Head.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later, but variable 2 or 3 throughout in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time in west.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, veering easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 3 to 5, then veering northerly later, occasionally 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, but occasionally rough in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 to 5 for a time, then becoming cyclonic later in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Showers in far east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate until later near North Foreland, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in far east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4 at first except in Lyme Bay, otherwise variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in south, but variable 3 or less in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, becoming variable for a time later, 2 to 4, but variable 3 or less throughout in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering north or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming northeasterly later, 2 to 4 , occasionally northwesterly 5 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming northwest 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in southwest, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3 in Firth of Clyde, otherwise northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 2 or 3 in Firth of Clyde.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering north or northeast for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, backing northwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest veering northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, backing northwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest veering northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 23 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 24 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Ridge to west and low pressure across Scandinavia maintaining a northerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- North 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in far east
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 24 Apr until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 24 Apr
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate
- Weather
- Fair, showers later
- Visibility
- Good, moderate or poor at times later
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, perhaps locally 5 at first, becoming northeast or variable 1 to 3 overnight, then west to northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional light rain or drizzle at first, risk of isolated showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 2 to 4, backing west to southwest overnight, increasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers by dawn.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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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