Coast and sea
General situation
A low pressure centre currently in the Bay of Biscay moves northeastwards into the English Channel overnight, and then through the North Sea later on Sunday. This brings strong winds and rain for a time to the eastern coastal waters, with a risk of gales through the Strait of Dover around midday tomorrow. Elsewhere winds are lighter with scattered showers.
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
- Southeast backing east or northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but mainly smooth at first in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, backing north then becoming cyclonic later, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough except in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast later, 2 to 4, then increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast backing northwest 5 to 7, then southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming rough for a time in north and slight later in south.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East backing northeast 3 or 4, then north or northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, backing southwest then south later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming mainly slight later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6 later, but becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 for a time later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing westerly 5 or 6, then southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in south.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming westerly 5 to 7, then backing southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly then cyclonic, 4 to 6, then westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8, at first in east, otherwise westerly backing southwesterly 4 or 5, then southerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast then northwest later, 5 or 6, then backing west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate for a time in far south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest backing south later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly then northwesterly later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the west of the Lizard peninsula, elsewhere smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Showers, with rain at times in Lyme Bay.
- Visibility
- Mainly good, occasionally poor in Lyme Bay.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing westerly 3 to 5, then southwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first to the east of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast backing north 4 or 5, then northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in the Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in the Bristol Channel, backing south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in the Bristol Channel, elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough later north far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast backing northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near st david's head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, backing south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast then northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest, then south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 3 or 4, backing north or northeast, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 or 5, soon backing west or southwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 to 5, then south 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southwesterly 2 to 4, then southerly 4 or 5 later, occasionally 6 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, mainly southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming northwest for a time, 2 to 4, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in south.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 or 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in northern entrance.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in south, but easterly backing northeasterly then westerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south, but slight or moderate, occasionally rough later, in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 or 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in south, but easterly backing northeasterly then westerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south and rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 27 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Sunday 28 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Weak ridge of high pressure will build across Shetland Waters on Saturday. Northeasterly flow will freshen on Sunday as a low pressure area approaches from the south.
Forecast
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in coastal waters
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Sunday 28 Apr until 1200 UTC on Sunday 28 Apr
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in coastal waters
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 by late afternoon, becoming variable 1 to 3 in the east of the area for a time around midnight, otherwise backing north to northwest 5 to 6, locally 7, decreasing 4 to 5 around dawn, backing west 3 to 4 by mid-morning.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough overnight, decreasing slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, locally heavy with a risk of thunder, clearing around dawn, then scattered showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, locally poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 4, locally 5 in the north at times, backing southwest to south overnight and south to southeast by midday.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in the north, with a low swell later.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers at first.
- Visibility
- 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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