Coast and sea
General situation
A relatively light northerly, although often variable flow, will continue through today and into Friday, but some of the showers or rain may be slow moving and perhaps heavy at times in 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
- North or northeast, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight,.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly easterly or northeasterly , 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 for a time, then easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time, then east 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in west for a time.
- Weather
- Showers occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in west, becoming variable 2 to 4, then easterly 3 to 5 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4, but becoming north or northeast 4 to 6 west of Lizard Point.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic for a time, then mainly east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate later, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly becoming variable 2 to 4, then easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near st david's head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally variable 3 or less in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, veering east or northeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, veering east or northeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable , mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable , mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in northwest.
- 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, mainly easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable , mainly easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable , mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Thursday 25 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Friday 26 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A showery mainly northeasterly airstream will persist across Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less later in east
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in sheltered southern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Friday 26 Apr until 1200 UTC on Friday 26 Apr
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in sheltered southern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to southwest 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5 for a time this evening, becoming locally variable 1 to 3 in the far north of the area.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Scattered showers at times, perhaps locally heavy later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 3 mid-channel at first, backing south to southeast 3 to 4 by dawn, backing further east to southeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell, but moderate at times in the west.
- Weather
- Showers, locally heavy, clearing soon, then fair rain or showers, heavy at times by Saturday morning.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor at times.
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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