Coast and sea
General situation
An area of low pressure to the south and east of the United Kingdom during the next couple of days will bring showers to the north with generally light winds. Across the south winds will be stronger with longer spells of rain or heavy showers at times.
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.
- 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 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- 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 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate until later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4, backing northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate until later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in south at first, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming easterly or northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north at first, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 for a time, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west until later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate in west later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 for a time, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Isles of Scilly.
- 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
- Variable 3 or less in south, easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Lands End but smooth in east Bristol Channel throughout.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in south, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Bristol Channel throughout, becoming smooth or slight for a time later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near st david's head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast for a time later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Backing north or northeast, veering east later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, backing north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north at first.
- 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
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, but occasionally rough to the west of Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, occasionally rough at first to the west of Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC until Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A large and shallow area of low pressure will move west over Shetland on Friday, then over the Faeroes on Saturday morning.
Forecast
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 26 Apr until 0600 UTC on Saturday 27 Apr
- Wind
- Variable becoming south or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic variable 2 to 4, perhaps easterly 5 to 6 mid-channel late afternoon, generally becoming west to northwest 2 to 4 by evening then variable 1 to 3 for a time overnight and northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell developing, perhaps locally moderate mid-channel for a time.
- Weather
- Showers, locally heavy, with a risk of thunder, clearing northeastward by late afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 towards dusk, veering north overnight, perhaps locally 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough overnight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers spreading north by midday, locally heavy with a risk of thunder.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate locally poor.
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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