General situation
A complex area of low pressure affecting the UK and surrounding waters will bring unsettled conditions throughout the forecast period, with showers or longer periods of rain expected.
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
- Southeast 4 or 5 becoming cyclonic 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4 then becoming south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time, becoming cyclonic later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 or 5 becoming southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 5 or 6 becoming cyclonic.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 or 6 becoming southwest 4 or 5, then backing south.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6 becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 then southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7 becoming southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, occasionally high for a time.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time in south, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time in far south.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 until later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6 becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 then south or southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming cyclonic 5 or 6, becoming west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5 backing south or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 5 or 6, soon backing east or northeast 4 or 5, backing west later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, soon becoming slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor becoming mainly good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, soon backing south or southeast, decreasing south or southwest 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, soon becoming slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 5 or 6 becoming variable 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering south or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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
- East 5 or 6 backing north or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering south or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast, backing northeast for a time, 5 or 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4 becoming south or southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5 becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 then south or southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6 backing northeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 5 or 6 backing northeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering southeasterly 4 or 5 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 28 Mar 2024 at 0600 UTC until Thursday 28 Mar 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Low complex across the UK. Associated troughs will affect Shetland Waters later today and overnight
Forecast
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, backing northeast later, 6 or 7
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate or poor later
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Thursday 28 Mar until 0600 UTC on Friday 29 Mar
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering southeasterly in southeast, 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough but moderate at first in south
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southwest 5 to 7 with gusts to 45kt, increasing 7 to gale 8 by midday, occasionally severe gale 9 with gusts to 60kt until dusk, especially in the northwest of the area, decreasing 5 to 7 this evening.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, increasing very rough to high in the north and west from midday to late evening, decreasing slight to moderate south of guernsey later, with a moderate swell.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, heavy at times with a risk of hail and thunder, becoming isolated later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 to 6 Friday afternoon, then 3 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough in the northwest until midnight, otherwise slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, locally heavy with a risk of hail and thunder.
- 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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