Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A ridge of high pressure extends westwards across the British Isles giving predominantly fine and settled conditions for much of the inshore waters with generally light winds, but strong easterly or northeasterly winds will affect southern coastlines at times. Thundery showers are possible across southern waters later on Friday.

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 becoming south or southeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, smooth or slight elsewhere.
Weather
Fog patches until later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, smooth or slight elsewhere.
Weather
Occasional drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly southeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable becoming east or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches at first, occasional drizzle later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly northeast, 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers later, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers later, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
Weather
Showers later, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near St Davids Head.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4, decreasing 2 or 3 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near entrances.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near southern entrance.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Thursday 19 Sep 2024 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 19 Sep 2024 at 1200 UTC

General situation

Ridge of high pressure extends west over Shetland Waters

Forecast

Wind
South or southwest 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight in east.
Weather
Mainly fair, occasional drizzle and mist patches later in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate or poor later in north.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 19 Sep until 0000 UTC on Friday 20 Sep

Wind
Variable 2 or 3, occasionally northeasterly 3 or 4 later in the west.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight or smooth east of shetland.
Weather
Mainly fair, occasional drizzle and mist patches.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East northeast 4 to 5, occasionally 6 in the north and west of the area.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rather rough in the north and west.
Weather
Fair or fine.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 4 to 5, perhaps occasionally 6 in the north and west at first.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, occasionally rather rough mid-channel at first.
Weather
Fair or fine risk of a thundery shower later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate to 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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