Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A complex area of low pressure currently lies across northern parts of the United Kingdom, but all areas will remain unsettled during the next 24 hours. Further heavy and locally thundery showers are expected, with a risk of hail and temporarily gusty winds.

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 3 or less becoming south or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate or rough to the west and north of Orkney and near Rattray Head, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first near Aberdeenshire, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Rough at first near Cape Wrath, otherwise slight or moderate, but becoming smooth in inner Moray Firth.
Weather
Showers for a time.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 3 or 4 becoming variable 2 or 3 then south or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough near Rattray Head and slight in south.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in Firth of Forth.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6 backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate in north, slight or moderate in south.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery for a time, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 3 to 5 backing southeast 3 or 4, then east 2 or 3 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers for a time.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, thundery for a time, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Moderate at first in north, otherwise slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers, becoming thundery for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 2 or 3 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate at first in far west, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7 decreasing 4 or 5, then 2 or 3 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate, then occasionally slight later.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest backing south 2 or 3, then backing east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing south 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 3 to 5 backing easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but becoming cyclonic 3 for a time in far west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Showers, thundery at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west, then decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, mainly moderate or rough in west, but occasionally very rough at first near Land's End.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 3 or 4 backing southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, thundery at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast veering south or southwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South backing southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in north, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in Liverpool Bay but becoming moderate in north.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4, then east 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate at first in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 2 or 3 increasing 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 4 or 5 backing east or southeast 3 or 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, then veering south or southwest later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest backing southeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, then veering southerly or southwesterly later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly backing easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, then veering south later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South backing east or southeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast becoming cyclonic then south or southwest, 2 to 4, backing southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough in far north, but smooth or slight just east and south of Skye.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly, backing easterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in north.
Sea state
Rough at first in far north, otherwise mainly slight or moderate, but smooth just east and south of Skye.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast becoming cyclonic, 2 to 4, then becoming southwest 3 to 5, then backing southeast later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate between Barra and Canna.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly, backing easterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate between Barra and Canna.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly at first in northwest, otherwise southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Rough or very rough at first in far northwest, otherwise moderate or 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 Friday 29 Mar 2024 at 0600 UTC until Friday 29 Mar 2024 at 1800 UTC

General situation

Area of low pressure over the North Sea will move northwestwards, becoming centred close to Faeroes by 6am Saturday. Associated trough will move away from Shetland Waters during Friday morning

Forecast

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but northeasterly 5 or 6 at first in northwest
Sea state
Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in northwest
Weather
Rain then showers
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 29 Mar until 0600 UTC on Saturday 30 Mar

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate or rough
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Moderate or good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South to southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 to 6 by midday, further decreasing 3 to 5 towards dusk, then 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Rather rough to rough in the north of the area, moderate with a low to moderate swell in the south, becoming generally slight to moderate with a low swell towards midnight.
Weather
Isolated showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South to southwest 3 to 4, backing southeast early afternoon, increasing 4 to 5 during Saturday evening.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate, with a low swell.
Weather
Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy.
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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