Coast and sea
General situation
A ridge of high pressure lying across the southern half of the United Kingdom will bring mainly light or moderate winds at first, and also fair conditions for a time. However Atlantic fronts moving down from the northwest will bring an interval of rain to nearly all areas, along with fresh or strong west to northwesterly winds, which will reach gale force at times in the Shetland Isles on Thursday night.
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
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in north and later in east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later in north and east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west or northwest, then north later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest mainly 4 to 6, but 7 at first near Rattray Head, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in firths of Tay and Forth, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering north or northeast later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, perhaps becoming very rough for a time.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, veering north or northeast 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming very rough for a time.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming westerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, veering northerly or northwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less then westerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, veering northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northerly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Showers, but becoming fair in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in east.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming westerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east, veering northwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly, 4 or 5, decreasing 3 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming west or northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest, veering north or northeast, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, veering northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 4 or 5, veering northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, veering north 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north and later south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, veering northwesterly 4 to 6, then northerly later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering northwest, 5 or 6, then north 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, backing northwest 2 or 3, then west or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering northwest, 4 to 6, then north 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering northwest, 4 to 6, then north 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, veering north or northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 18 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Friday 19 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A complex low north of Shetland slides away southeast across the North Sea later Thursday and on Friday while high pressure builds to the west.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6 at first in east, otherwise westerly 4 or 5 veering northwesterly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later in northwest
- Weather
- Rain then showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Friday 19 Apr until 1200 UTC on Friday 19 Apr
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate at first east of shetland
- Weather
- Showers at first
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, soon backing west to northwest, increasing 4 to 5 by midnight, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate overnight.
- Weather
- Risk of patchy light rain or showers from dawn.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 5, veering northerly by late evening then northeast by dawn, perhaps 6 mid-channel later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Patchy light rain or showers at first, clearing by evening.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate at first.
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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