Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

An area of low pressure to the west of Ireland will track close to northwest Scotland early on Tuesday with the associated weather fronts pushing through the coastal waters. A ridge of high pressure will then build in the north with a shallow area of low pressure moving into the Southwest Approaches.

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
Southeasterly veering westerly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in Moray Firth, but elsewhere moderate or rough, becoming very rough in north.
Weather
Rain or showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first, becoming south 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in south, mainly moderate or rough in north.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 5 to 7, veering west or southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough at first in north, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Rain or showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northeast 4 or 5, veering south or southeast later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 5 or 6, veering southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 for a time, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly veering westerly or northwesterly later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly, veering westerly or southwesterly later, 2 or 3.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, veering west or northwest later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
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
South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, veering north or northwest later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest veering north or northwest later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers becoming fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming north 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then rain.
Visibility
Good becoming moderate or poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 5 to 7 veering southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 6 or 7 veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming north or northeast 3 or 4, backing north or northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain becoming fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7 veering west or northwest 3 to 5, veering northeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 5 to 7 veering west or southwest 3 to 5, veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in North Channel, backing westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 6 to gale 8 veering west or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Tiree.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming north or northwest 3 to 5, then backing southwest later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, but slight in shelter.
Weather
Showers then mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly veering westerly or northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough near entrances.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough near entrances.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly veering westerly or northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast veering west or northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, then decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later in east.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Valid Tuesday 19 Mar 2024 at 0000 UTC until Tuesday 19 Mar 2024 at 1200 UTC

General situation

Deepening low complex to the northwest of UK pushing fronts across your area and maintaining strong to gale winds.

Forecast

Wind
South or southeast veering west later, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9
Sea state
Rough or very rough, moderate in lee shelter of shetland
Weather
Occasional rain
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Tuesday 19 Mar until 0000 UTC on Wednesday 20 Mar

Wind
West 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later
Sea state
Rough or very rough, moderate in lee shelter of shetland
Weather
Rain or showers
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly 3 to 5, decreasing 2 to 4 mid afternoon, locally variable 1 to 2 in the far south of the area.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate mid-channel until early afternoon a low to moderate swell throughout.
Weather
Patchy rain and drizzle likely after dawn, mainly in the far north and far west of the area.
Visibility
Good, perhaps locally moderate to poor after dawn.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 by midday.
Sea state
Smooth locally slight, with a low swell.
Weather
Risk of mist or fog patches small risk of a shower late afternoon.
Visibility
Good, perhaps occasionally moderate to very 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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