Coast and sea
General situation
Pressure will remain high over the United Kingdom during the next couple of days, bringing settled conditions to most areas. However there will be a little drizzle in places, especially near eastern coasts of England, and also a few showers near southwestern England. Strong northeasterly winds near southwestern coasts will slowly ease.
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
- Westerly or southwesterly, becoming variable for a time in south, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- To the west and north of Orkney, moderate, becoming rough later, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north, veering westerly or northwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- To the west and north of Orkney, rough, but elsewhere smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth becoming slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast veering east or southeast 2 to 4, then southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in Thames estuary and the wash.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly veering southeasterly, then westerly or southwesterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first offshore, otherwise slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 or 6, veering easterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northerly or northwesterly later, occasionally 5 later west of Lands End.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later east of the Lizard.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally at first 6 near Cornwall, decreasing 3 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly becoming variable, then northerly or northwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate near Cornwall, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4, then west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming south or southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west or northwest, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, then showers later.
- 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 becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming south or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain later, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in north and west.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 12 Dec 2024 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 12 Dec 2024 at 1200 UTC
General situation
High pressure centered over Scotland maintaining a westerly flow
Forecast
- Wind
- West backing southwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate but slight in shelter east of shetland, becoming rough later in west
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 12 Dec until 0000 UTC on Friday 13 Dec
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight at first in shelter east of shetland
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel at first, decreasing 3 to 5 by early afternoon.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth or slight by dusk.
- Weather
- Risk of light rain or drizzle at first risk of mist patches near the french coast from late evening.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate to poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 1 to 3 by dusk.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell developing by midday.
- Weather
- Risk of mist patches near the french coast at first.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate to 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.
Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.