Coast and sea
General situation
A high will move east over the British Isles this evening and into tomorrow, and the strong winds and showers over the east will ease off. The high will persist on Sunday.
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
- Northwest 5 to 7 veering north 3 to 5, becoming variable 4 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming 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
- Variable 4 or less, becoming south 3 to 5, veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- 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 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough until later in east and smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 or 7 veering north 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6 veering northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in northeast and slight later in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 5 or 6, veering northeasterly 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northeast and smooth in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers until later in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in far east.
- Weather
- Showers later in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northeasterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering east, 4 or 5, becoming variable 4 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5, decreasing 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering northeast, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north, veering east or northeast, backing northwest later, 3 or 4.
- 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
- North or northwest 4 or 5, veering north or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast veering east, 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, veering northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northwest, 3 or less, occasionally 4 later near Mull of Galloway.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering and decreasing east or northeast 3 or 4, then becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, falling smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north 3 or 4, becoming 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 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, but slight in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5 veering northerly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near mulls of galloway and kintyre.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in far northwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north at first, 2 to 4, becoming southwest later.
- 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
- South or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north at first, 2 to 4, becoming southwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but rough at first in north, becoming slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8 decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers at first, rain later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 19 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 20 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A northerly flow over Shetland waters will weaken as a ridge of high pressure builds from the west on Saturday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in east, decreasing 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 20 Apr until 1800 UTC on Saturday 20 Apr
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Moderate, rough at first in north and east
- Weather
- Fair, rain later in west
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later in west
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5 veering north by late evening, then northeast to east by dawn.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming mainly slight overnight decreasing smooth in the east afternoon.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast to east 3 to 4, perhaps 5 at first decreasing north to northeast 2 to 3 by evening, before increasing 4 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight, locally smooth to slight for a time.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- God 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.
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