General situation
A complex area of low pressure currently lies across northern parts of the United Kingdom, but all areas will remain unsettled during the next 24 hours. Further heavy and locally thundery showers are expected, with a risk of hail and temporarily gusty winds.
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 3 or less becoming south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the west and north of Orkney and near Rattray Head, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first near Aberdeenshire, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near Cape Wrath, otherwise slight or moderate, but becoming smooth in inner Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4 becoming variable 2 or 3 then south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough near Rattray Head and slight in south.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6 backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5 backing southeast 3 or 4, then east 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in north, otherwise slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 or 3 becoming variable 3 or less.
- 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
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far west, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7 decreasing 4 or 5, then 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate, then occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 2 or 3, then backing east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5 backing easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but becoming cyclonic 3 for a time in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west, then decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, mainly moderate or rough in west, but occasionally very rough at first near Land's End.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4 backing southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering south or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in north, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in Liverpool Bay but becoming moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4, then east 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 or 3 increasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5 backing east or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, then veering south or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest backing southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- 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
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, then veering southerly or southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly backing easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, then veering south later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing east or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming cyclonic then south or southwest, 2 to 4, backing southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in far north, but smooth or slight just east and south of Skye.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, backing easterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in north.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in far north, otherwise mainly slight or moderate, but smooth just east and south of Skye.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast becoming cyclonic, 2 to 4, then becoming southwest 3 to 5, then backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate between Barra and Canna.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, backing easterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate between Barra and Canna.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly at first in northwest, otherwise southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in far northwest, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 29 Mar 2024 at 0600 UTC until Friday 29 Mar 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Area of low pressure over the North Sea will move northwestwards, becoming centred close to Faeroes by 6am Saturday. Associated trough will move away from Shetland Waters during Friday morning
Forecast
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but northeasterly 5 or 6 at first in northwest
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in northwest
- Weather
- Rain then showers
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 29 Mar until 0600 UTC on Saturday 30 Mar
- Wind
- South or southeast 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
- South to southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 to 6 by midday, further decreasing 3 to 5 towards dusk, then 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough in the north of the area, moderate with a low to moderate swell in the south, becoming generally slight to moderate with a low swell towards midnight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southwest 3 to 4, backing southeast early afternoon, increasing 4 to 5 during Saturday evening.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
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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