Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A complex area of low pressure affecting the UK and surrounding waters will bring unsettled conditions throughout the forecast period, with showers or longer periods of rain expected.

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
Southeast 4 or 5 becoming cyclonic 5 or 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4 then becoming south.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far northwest.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time, becoming cyclonic later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 4 or 5 becoming southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 5 or 6 becoming cyclonic.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 5 or 6 becoming southwest 4 or 5, then backing south.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 5 or 6 becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 then southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 5 to 7 becoming southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 or 5.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time in west.
Sea state
Moderate becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 or 5.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high for a time.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic becoming south or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time in south, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time in far south.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 until later in south.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 5 or 6 becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 then south or southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast becoming cyclonic 5 or 6, becoming west 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West 4 or 5 backing south or southeast 3 or 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 5 or 6, soon backing east or northeast 4 or 5, backing west later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, soon becoming slight.
Weather
Rain at times, becoming mainly fair later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor becoming mainly good later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West 4 or 5, soon backing south or southeast, decreasing south or southwest 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, soon becoming slight for a time.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 5 or 6 becoming variable 3 or 4.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or 4 becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering south or southwest later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East 5 or 6 backing north or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or 4 becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering south or southwest later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast, backing northeast for a time, 5 or 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or 4 becoming south or southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast backing northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 4 or 5 becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 then south or southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 5 or 6 backing northeast 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 4 or 5.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 5 or 6 backing northeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering southeasterly 4 or 5 later in southeast.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Thursday 28 Mar 2024 at 0600 UTC until Thursday 28 Mar 2024 at 1800 UTC

General situation

Low complex across the UK. Associated troughs will affect Shetland Waters later today and overnight

Forecast

Wind
East or southeast 4 to 6, backing northeast later, 6 or 7
Sea state
Moderate or rough
Weather
Mainly fair, rain later
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate or poor later

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Thursday 28 Mar until 0600 UTC on Friday 29 Mar

Wind
Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering southeasterly in southeast, 4 or 5
Sea state
Rough or very rough but moderate at first in south
Weather
Occasional rain
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate or poor

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South to southwest 5 to 7 with gusts to 45kt, increasing 7 to gale 8 by midday, occasionally severe gale 9 with gusts to 60kt until dusk, especially in the northwest of the area, decreasing 5 to 7 this evening.
Sea state
Rather rough to rough, increasing very rough to high in the north and west from midday to late evening, decreasing slight to moderate south of guernsey later, with a moderate swell.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, heavy at times with a risk of hail and thunder, becoming isolated later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South to southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 to 6 Friday afternoon, then 3 to 5 overnight.
Sea state
Rather rough to rough in the northwest until midnight, otherwise slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell.
Weather
Isolated showers, locally heavy with a risk of hail and thunder.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps 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.

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