Coast and sea
General situation
A general northerly flow will continue on Thursday but as pressure continues to decline conditions will turn increasingly showery over the next few days.
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, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Moray Firth later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight,.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North veering northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly but northeasterly later in south, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, but northeasterly at first in south, veering easterly or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time, veering northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Showers or occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northerly or northeasterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6, becoming variable 3 or less later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, veering southwest for a time, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later west of Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic, 2 or 3, increasing 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later west of Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4 , veering east or northeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate later, occasionally rough near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 or 3, veering northeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering northeast later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, backing north or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north 3 or 4, then veering east or northeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, backing north or northeast for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, veering easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, backing northerly northwesterly, becoming variable 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north and later in south, but smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in north and in south entrance.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- 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 northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Thursday 25 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC until Thursday 25 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A developing low, moving south into the central North Sea, maintains a showery, mainly northeasterly airstream across Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in sheltered southern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Thursday 25 Apr until 0600 UTC on Friday 26 Apr
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in northwest, becoming variable 3 or less later
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in sheltered southern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southwest 2 to 4, veering west to southwest by midday, increasing 3 to 5 by dusk, veering west to northwest 2 to 4 by midnight, becoming south to southwest by dawn and locally variable 1 to 3 in the far north of the area.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Scattered showers at times, perhaps locally heavy later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 3 mid-channel at first, becoming generally westerly 3 to 4 during the afternoon then cyclonic 1 to 3 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell developing.
- Weather
- Showers, locally heavy, clearing in the afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor at first.
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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