Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure centred to the northwest will continue to decline, 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, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Moray Firth later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then east or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly, 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.
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
- Southwest veering 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 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly for a time in south, veering northerly or northeasterly later in south, 3 to 5.
- 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, 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, occasionally 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming west or southwest, veering north later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North, veering east or northeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, veering southwest for a time, but variable 3 or less in lyme bay until later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 2 or 3, increasing 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later west of Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, backing west for a time, veering northeast later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest veering north or northwest, veering northeast later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering north or northwest, veering northeast later, 3 or 4, increasing 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north or northwest, veering east or northeast later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- 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
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, backing north later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate 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, veering easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, backing northerly later, 2 to 4.
- 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, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west, be slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north and later in south, 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.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering northeast, 3 to 5.
- 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, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Thursday 25 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 25 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A developing low, moving south into the central North Sea, maintains a showery, mainly northeasterly airstream across Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later in south
- Sea state
- Rough at first in north and west, otherwise moderate, becoming slight in well sheltered southwestern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 25 Apr until 0000 UTC on Friday 26 Apr
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later in east
- Sea state
- Moderate, but mainly slight in sheltered southern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest or variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest to west 4 in the afternoon, perhaps occasionally 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight with a low swell developing.
- Weather
- Scattered showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or variable 2 to 4, becoming west 4 occasionally 5 for a time Friday evening.
- Sea state
- Slight, with a low swell, perhaps moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Isolated showers or rain.
- Visibility
- Mainly 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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