General situation
A complex area of low pressure moving south across the North Sea, will maintain fresh to strong north winds in the east. An area of high pressure building in from the Atlantic, will mean lighter winds in the west and 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
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Fair, rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, veering west or northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in north and south, smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly west or northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, veering northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north, becoming mainly slight, occasionally smooth in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near North Foreland.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers until later in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near North Foreland.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast veering east or southeast, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth, becoming slight near Mull of Galloway later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth south and west of skye.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest later, 2 to 4, occasionally variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest later, 2 to 4, occasionally variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 4 to 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, but moderate or poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 20 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC until Saturday 20 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure lies over Shetland Waters on Saturday with rain extending west Sunday morning.
Forecast
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Saturday 20 Apr until 0600 UTC on Sunday 21 Apr
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate
- Weather
- Fair, becoming rain
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4, perhaps locally 5, backing northeasterly this morning, then northerly this evening, veering northeasterly 4 to 5 after midnight.
- Sea state
- Moderate mid-channel this morning, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fine becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 5, perhaps briefly 6 in the far west of the area mid-morning.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate mid-channel.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers from early evening.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
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.
Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.