Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A ridge of high pressure extending westwards across the British Isles giving a good deal of fine conditions and lighter winds in the north will start to decline into the weekend. Stronger easterly or northeasterly winds will affect southern coastlines at times and showers, perhaps thundery 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
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally variable 3 or less in Moray Firth.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Weather
Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional drizzle until later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly east, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable becoming east or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional drizzle and fog patches until later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Drizzle, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Mainly slight.
Weather
Drizzle.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight increasing moderate for a time.
Weather
Risk of fog patches for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fog patches at first, showers later in south.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Mainly fair, showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Fair, showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Fair, showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth inshore.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
Weather
Showers later, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

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

24 hour forecast:

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

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

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

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

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
Easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast, 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in North Channel.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, but easterly, 3 to 5 in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

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

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

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

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly east or southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather
Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Friday 20 Sep 2024 at 0000 UTC until Friday 20 Sep 2024 at 1200 UTC

General situation

Ridge of high pressure will cover Shetland Waters

Forecast

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

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Friday 20 Sep until 0000 UTC on Saturday 21 Sep

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

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 4 to to 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 3 south of jersey in the afternoon.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, occasionally rather rough in the north and west at first.
Weather
Occasional haze or mist risk of a thundery showers from late evening.
Visibility
Moderate to good, perhaps locally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 to 4 occasionally 5 mid channel at first, veering east to southeast 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic variable later Saturday.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth to slight overnight.
Weather
Haze or mist at times a risk of thundery showers, mainly overnight.
Visibility
Moderate to good, 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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