Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure centred to the northwest will slowly decline during today, but will maintain largely settled conditions across western areas. Low pressure situated over the eastern North Sea will drift southwards, this will maintain a fresher and showery northerly flow across the eastern 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
- North or northwest veering northeast later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly, becoming variable later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, backing westerly or southwesterly for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- 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
- Northerly or northwesterly becoming variable, 2 to 4 then southwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering east or northeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, but variable 3 or less in Lyme Bay until later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest veering east or northeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, backing west for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or northeast later, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering east or northeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North becoming variable, then east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, veering north or northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering east or northeast, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, but variable 3 or less in south and east at first and again later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less in south at first, otherwise northerly veering easterly or northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- 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
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly becoming easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, but smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in north and in south entrance later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 24 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC until Thursday 25 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
The mainly northerly airstream over Shetland waters veers more northeasterly overnight with a shallow low moving south close to the Norwegian coast.
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good, occasionally moderate or poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Thursday 25 Apr until 1800 UTC on Thursday 25 Apr
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in northeast at first
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good, occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest or variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest to west 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight with a low swell developing.
- Weather
- Scattered showers developing overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 4, perhaps locally 5 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 on Friday.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Isolated showers then occasional rain for a time.
- 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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