Coast and sea
General situation
The United Kingdom will lie in a showery northerly or northwesterly airflow during the next couple of days, with gusty strong winds affecting all areas and gales affecting eastern coasts at times.
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
- North or northwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in Moray Firth and very rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasional rough near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, veering north 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6 becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, veering northerly for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, veering northerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest, veering north for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, veering north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, veering northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Showers then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest backing west, 4 to 6, veering east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4, then backing west 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less, then west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight in southeast.
- 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
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less, then westerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4, then west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in north.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4, then west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 for a time in west, becoming northerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in west, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 16 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC until Tuesday 16 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Low pressure to the north will track south over Shetland Waters through Tuesday and into the North Sea Wednesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 6 or 7, backing west 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 but occasionally 7 or gale 8 in west
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Tuesday 16 Apr until 0600 UTC on Wednesday 17 Apr
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6 but occasionally 7 or gale 8 in west, becoming northeasterly 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough in west at first
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 to 6 by midday, veering north to northwest after dusk.
- Sea state
- Rough, decreasing rather rough by midday, then moderate with a low swell later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 4 to 5, backing west to northwest after dusk.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Scattered showers for a time around dawn rain later, perhaps locally heavy.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.
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.
Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.