Coast and sea
General situation
Centres of low pressure to the south and east of the United Kingdom will bring showers and light winds to the north, with stronger winds and longer spells of rain to the south.
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
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5 at first in east then elsewhere later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west and north of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly backing easterly 3 to 5, then backing northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, backing north or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east, 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, backing north or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then west 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time in south, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, then westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6 ,veering westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west and later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south and west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly becoming cyclonic, then westerly later, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times until later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate mainly offshore and later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, then becoming variable 3 or less for a time in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing northwesterly, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in east, backing westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except west of Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly backing northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in east Bristol Channel throughout.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast backing north, then backing west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in east Bristol Channel throughout.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in Cardigan Bay, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast backing north, then backing southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast, backing north later, 3 or 4, but becoming variable 3 or less at times in the Solway Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, soon veering east or southeast, backing north or northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, soon veering northeast 4 or 5, backing south or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northerly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 4 or 5 for a time later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- 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, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 4 or 5 for a time later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, but mainly north at first, 2 or 3, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but occasionally rough to the west of Outer Hebrides, becoming slight later near Ardnamurchan Point.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight near Ardnamurchan Point.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first, then increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south and east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 27 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A large and shallow area of low pressure will move west over Shetland on Friday evening. Freshening southeasterly flow will develop on Saturday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first in west
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just east of shetland
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 27 Apr until 1800 UTC on Saturday 27 Apr
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in far northwest
- Sea state
- Moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic variable 2 to 4, generally becoming westerly by midnight decreasing variable 1 to 3 overnight, becoming east to northeast 3 to 4 by midday and 4 to 6 by late afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell, perhaps locally moderate mid-channel at times later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, clearing soon, then mainly fair overnight rain or showers spreading north by late morning, locally heavy with a risk of thunder.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at times later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, perhaps 7 confined to the north and west of the area by evening as the south and east becomes variable cyclonic 3 to 4 becoming northwesterly 5 to 7 overnight and 4 to 6 by dawn decreasing westerly 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight increasing moderate to rather rough by midnight decreasing smooth th slight with a low swell after midday.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, locally heavy with a risk of thunder, clearing by midday Sunday.
- Visibility
- Good to moderate locally poor for a time.
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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