Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure centred to the west of the United Kingdom will remain nearly stationary and bring mostly settled conditions to western and northern areas during the next couple of days. However a northerly airflow will bring patchy rain or showers to parts of eastern parts of England.
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
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first near Rattray Head and 3 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later near Rattray Head.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later near Rattray Head.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, but variable 2 or 3 in Moray Firth, veering north or northeast 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time later in west.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north, becoming variable 2 to 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or southwest 3 or 4, then veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, but variable 2 or 3 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, but occasionally rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough for a time in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, fair for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Rain then showers in far east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later in east, becoming variable 3 or less later, but backing southwesterly 4 to 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate until later near North Foreland, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in far east.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4 at first except in Lyme Bay, otherwise variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in south, but variable 3 or less in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, but variable 3 or less in Bristol Channel, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering north or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooht or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, occasionally northwesterly 5 at first in northwest, becoming northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 3 to 5, then veering east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in southwest, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers 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 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 for a time except in Firth of Clyde.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, backing northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, backing northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 23 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Wednesday 24 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Ridge to west and low pressure across Scandinavia maintaining a northerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- North 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in far east
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Wednesday 24 Apr until 1200 UTC on Wednesday 24 Apr
- Wind
- North 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far east at first
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or variable f2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Light rain or drizzle this evening.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or variable 2 to 4, becoming west to southwest Thursday morning.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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.
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