General situation
A complex area of low pressure moving south across the North Sea, will maintain fresh to strong north winds in the east on Saturday. High pressure building in from the Atlantic, will extend lighter winds eastwards, reaching all areas by Sunday.
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 mainly south later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in south, smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Fair, occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, 4 to 6 occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north, becoming mainly slight, occasionally smooth in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near North Foreland.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near North Foreland.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, 2 to 4, becoming north 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth, becoming slight near Mull of Galloway later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming east or southeast 3 or 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 4 to 6 later.
- 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 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 20 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Sunday 21 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure lies over Shetland Waters on Saturday with rain extending west into Sunday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5 at first in east, otherwise variable 3 or less, becoming southerly 3 to 5 later in west
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in far east, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Rain later in west
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in west
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Sunday 21 Apr until 1200 UTC on Sunday 21 Apr
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in east, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 4, occasionally 5, becoming 4 to 5 overnight, perhaps briefly 6 in the far west of the area Sunday morning.
- Sea state
- Moderate, perhaps, rather rough in the west.
- Weather
- Fine becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, perhaps, rather rough in the west.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers from early evening.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
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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