Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A mainly southerly or southwesterly airflow across the United Kingdom will bring unsettled conditions and strong winds to all areas at times, with gales in places at first on Monday.

Issued at: 00:01 (UTC) on Mon 27 Sep 2021

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Mon 27 Sep 2021 to 00:00 (UTC) on Tue 28 Sep 2021

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic becoming west 4 to 6, occasionally 7 near Rattray Head, backing southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north and near Rattray Head.
Weather: Rain, showers later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeasterly becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east, then becoming southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Rattray Head.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, then becoming west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough offshore.
Weather: Showers, rain for a time at first.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 to 6, backing southeast 6 to gale 8, then veering west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight, becoming moderate for a time.
Weather: Showers, rain for a time at first.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest backing south 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, then veering westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state: Slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east.
Weather: Showers, rain for a time at first.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly backing southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers, thundery rain later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8, then veering westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state: Slight, becoming moderate, occasionally rough in west.
Weather: Showers, rain for a time at first.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather: Showers, thundery rain later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, then west or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather: Showers, thundery rain later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming west or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state: Mainly moderate in lyme bay, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later near Isles of Scilly.
Weather: Rain then squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest, veering northwest later, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
Sea state: Mainly moderate in lyme bay, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Isles of Scilly.
Weather: Rain or 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: Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming west or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in inner Bristol Channel.
Weather: Rain then squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in inner Bristol Channel, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwesterly, backing westerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near St Davids Head.
Weather: Rain then squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly, backing southerly, 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
Weather: Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic, becoming west or southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight.
Weather: Rain then squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest, veering northwest later, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far northwest.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest, veering west or northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far northwest.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: 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: Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasional smooth in Firth of Clyde.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly, veering westerly or northwesterly later, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in Firth of Clyde.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east.
Weather: Occasional rain then squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 5 to 7, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 3 to 5, veering southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough at times in southwest.
Weather: Squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasional rough in south.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 3 to 5, veering southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Squally showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Rough, occasionally moderate.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southeast 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic, then southwest later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough, occasionally very rough.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate, occasionally poor, becoming mainly good later.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Monday 27 Sep 2021 at 0000 UTC until Monday 27 Sep 2021 at 1200 UTC

General situation

Large Icelandic will remain slow moving. Shallow area of low pressure will develop across Shetland Waters on Monday, track northwest and deepen. Showery southwesterly flow will follow on behind for later Monday.

Forecast

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly 6 or 7 in east, cyclonic 3 to 5 in the west.
Sea state: Rough or very rough
Weather: Rain in west. Mist patches in east at first.
Visibility: Moderate occasionally poor.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Monday 27 Sep until 0000 UTC on Tuesday 28 Sep

Wind: Cyclonic 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 in east at first, becoming southwesterly 5 to 7
Sea state: Rough or very rough
Weather: Rain then occasional showers
Visibility: Moderate occasionally poor, becoming mainly good.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly 5 to 7, locally gale 8 with gusts to 50kt, veering northwest 5 to 6 around dawn, then backing west to southwest 4 to 6 by mid-morning.
Sea state: Moderate in the south to rough in the northwest.
Weather: Rain, locally heavy, clearing eastward by mid-morning the odd shower developing after dawn, locally heavy.
Visibility: Moderate to poor, becoming good, locally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest to south 4 to 5, increasing 4 to 6 by noon.
Sea state: Moderate in the south to rough in the northwest, decreasing slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell for a time during the morning.
Weather: Occasional showers from noon, locally heavy, merging into persistent rain at times.
Visibility: Good, locally moderate or poor at times.

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.