Coast and sea
General situation
A complex area of low pressure centred over the south of the United Kingdom will slowly edge northwards over the next couple of days. This will bring rain or showers, possibly thundery at times. It will maintain a generally easterly flow across northern areas.
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
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, becoming cyclonic then south later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog banks developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south or southeast, 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southwest later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time offshore.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in south, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming southwest 2 to 4, veering west later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later in south.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but easterly 4 or 5 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but easterly 4 or 5 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 03 May 2024 at 0600 UTC until Friday 03 May 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Mainly easterly flow will persist over Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northeasterly veering easterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in north
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 03 May until 0600 UTC on Saturday 04 May
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Fair, fog patches later in south
- Visibility
- Good occasionally very poor later in south
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 in the south of the area in the afternoon, then generally southerly 2 to 3 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps becoming thundery near the brittany coast in the afternoon and early evening, then dying out overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 2 to 3, locally 4, backing east to northeast 3 to 4 in the afternoon, veering south to southeast overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches drifting from the french coast at first rain, drizzle and mist patches overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at first and again later.
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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