Coast and sea
General situation
A complex area of low pressure will move south across the North Sea maintaining fresh to strong north winds in the east. In the west winds will be much lighter as an area of high pressure builds in from the Atlantic.
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
- Northwesterly 5 to 7 veering northerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, occasionally southerly 2 to 4 later west of Orkney.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly northeast for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in north and south, smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, mainly southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 or 6, decreasing 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming mainly slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 6 or 7, veering northerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or veering northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south at first, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in southeast, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, veering northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near North Foreland.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers until later in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near North Foreland.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, occasionally variable 3 or less later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering east, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming east or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east or northeast 2 to 4.
- 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
- East or northeast 2 to 4, but variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, veering east or northeast, then becoming variable 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, but mainly northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth south and west of skye.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north entrance.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 4 to 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, but moderate or poor later in west.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 20 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 20 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A northerly flow over Shetland waters will weaken as a ridge of high pressure builds from the west on Saturday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in far east
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far east
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 20 Apr until 0000 UTC on Sunday 21 Apr
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 4 to 6 in west later
- Sea state
- Moderate
- Weather
- Fair, rain later in west
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later in west
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North to northeast 3 to 5, veering east by dawn decreasing variable 2 to 3 across the north of the area for a time in the evening.
- Sea state
- Slight to occasionally moderate decreasing slight to smooth by evening.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight to smooth, occasionally moderate across the north of the area.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
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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