Coast and sea
General situation
A ridge of high pressure lying across the southern half of the United Kingdom will bring mainly light or moderate winds at first, and also fair conditions for a time. However Atlantic fronts moving down from the northwest will bring an interval of rain to nearly all areas, along with fresh or strong west to northwesterly winds, which will reach gale force at times in the Shetland Isles on Thursday night.
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
- Southwesterly veering northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough except in Moray Firth, then very rough later near northern Orkney.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east, veering northerly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first near northern Orkney, otherwise mainly moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west or northwest later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest mainly 4 to 6, but 7 at first near Rattray Head and occasionally 3 in Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in north and in far south, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing southwest 4 to 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, veering north 5 to 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4 backing southwest 5 or 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6 veering north 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4 then southwesterly 4 to 6, then veering northwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then becoming very rough for a time near northeast Norfolk.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less then westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Showers, but becoming fair in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less then west 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West veering northwest 4 or 5, veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less then west or southwest 4 or 5, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5 veering north 3 to 5, then northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less then west or southwest 4 to 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming southwest 4 to 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, veering north 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering west 4 to 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable mainly north 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4 increasing 4 or 5, veering west or northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, veering north 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth at first in south and occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Rain at times, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in far north, otherwise slight or moderate, but becoming smooth or slight later in east.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except in far north.
- Weather
- Rain at times, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, veering northerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later except in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering west 4 to 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later except in far north.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight between Barra and Canna.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6 veering northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 18 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC until Thursday 18 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A trough crosses Shetland waters early Thursday with a low passing southeastward to the north from the afternoon. Pressure builds to the west Thursday night.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest, veering northwest later, 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in lee shelter of Shetland, then becoming rough later in west
- Weather
- Rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Thursday 18 Apr until 0600 UTC on Friday 19 Apr
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in lee shelter of Shetland, becoming very rough later
- Weather
- Rain at first in east, otherwise showers
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in east
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4 by midday, backing west or northwest during the afternoon, increasing 4 or 5 by midnight, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell at first, increasing slight or moderate overnight.
- Weather
- Risk of patchy light rain or drizzle after midnight.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, veering north by late evening and east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, decreasing smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Patchy light rain or drizzle likely at times until late afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, locally 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.
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