Coast and sea
General situation
Centres of low pressure to the south and east of the United Kingdom will bring showers and light winds to the north, with stronger winds and longer spells of rain to the south.
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, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west and north of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in west, otherwise southeasterly, backing easterly or northeasterly later, 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 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, backing north or northeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming mainly east later, 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East 2 to 4, backing northeast 3 to 5, then backing north or northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, backing northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time in south, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in south, otherwise easterly or northeasterly, becoming cyclonic later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north at first, then becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 ,then veering westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly backing northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south and west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic then westerly later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate mainly offshore and later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- 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
- Cyclonic, becoming easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, then becoming variable 3 or less for a time in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing northerly, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in east, backing westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later except west of Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later in east.
- 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, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time.
- 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 moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast backing north, 3 to 5, then backing northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in east Bristol Channel throughout.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in Cardigan Bay, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northeast, backing northwest later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, soon backing north or northeast, veering east later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, soon backing north or northeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less ,becoming northeast 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
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.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
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
- Variable, but mainly north at first, 2 or 3, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming mainly south or southeast later, 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but occasionally rough to the west of Outer Hebrides, becoming slight later near Ardnamurchan Point.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming mainly south or southeast later, 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, slight near Ardnamurchan Point.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first, then increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south and east until later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 27 Apr 2024 at 0000 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
- Mainly southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in west
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 27 Apr until 1200 UTC on Saturday 27 Apr
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic variable 2 to 4, perhaps easterly 5 mid-channel at first, generally becoming westerly by evening then veering northeast by dawn on Saturday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell developing, perhaps locally moderate mid-channel at first.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, clearing by late afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3, increasing 5 to 6 towards dusk, veering northwest overnight, perhaps locally 7 at times, decreasing 4 by midday.
- Sea state
- Slight increasing moderate to rather rough overnight, perhaps rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain or showers spreading north, 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.
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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