General situation
Low pressure will remain centred to the north or west of the United Kingdom, to give a brisk and showery southerly flow. Both the wind and shower activity generally easing into the weekend as the flow changes southeasterly.
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
- Southwest backing southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, becoming variable 1 to 3.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight later in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 1 to 3, then east 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming east 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first near Whitby.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, then becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, occasional rain later in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, backing southerly 3 or 4, then becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, occasional rain later in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, backing south 4 or 5, then decreasing 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight later near shore.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 2 or 3, backing east 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5, then backing south later.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in far west, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight later in Lyme Bay.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 5 or 6, then backing east 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5, then backing south or southeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 5 or 6, then backing east 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far southwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in west.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 or 6, backing southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far southwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering south 4 to 6, then backing southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing east 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, backing east later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing east later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing east later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 29 Mar 2024 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 30 Mar 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A low over the North Sea will move over Shetland Waters on Friday afternoon then westwards into the Atlantic.
Forecast
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming south 4 or 5 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough in far northwest at first
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 30 Mar until 1200 UTC on Saturday 30 Mar
- Wind
- South becoming cyclonic, 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
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, with gusts to 40kt possible near showers early afternoon, decreasing 3 to 5 by dusk, backing southerly 2 to 4 by dawn, then southeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough in the north of the area until early evening, otherwise slight to moderate, decreasing smooth to slight by dawn tomorrow a low swell throughout.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy early afternoon, likely dying out by midnight.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast to east 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5 by dusk, backing east to northeast 4 to 6 late morning Sunday.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing moderate mid-channel towards late morning Sunday a low swell throughout.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, perhaps locally heavy, crossing the area northwards late afternoon and evening developing again in the south of the area late morning Sunday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate at times.
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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