Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure will remain slow-moving to the northwest of the United Kingdom during the next couple of days, maintaining settled conditions over the British coastal waters. However strong northeasterly winds will continue to affect areas near the Strait of Dover 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)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 or 3 becoming variable 2 or less, then northeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable, 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, 2 or 3 in north but 3 or 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 or 3, occasionally 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in far south, decreasing 3 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Slight in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in far south, decreasing 3 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east, veering easterly 3 or 4 for a time later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east, veering easterly 3 or 4 for a time later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east 2 to 4 backing northeast 4 or 5, veering east or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in The Solent.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4, backing northeast 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in The Solent.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming east or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Lyme Bay.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Lyme Bay, but elsewhere slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times near Cornwall and in northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in Bristol Channel, becoming variable 2 at times near Cornwall and in northwest.
- 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
- North or northeast, becoming variable mainly east for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly north 2 to 4, veering east 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or northeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, but northerly at first near Coll, Tiree and western Mull, 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 1 to 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first in north, otherwise fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less in far south, but elsewhere northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 2 in far south, increasing 5 at times elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times until later in north, otherwise fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less in far south, but elsewhere northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 03 Jun 2023 at 1800 UTC until Sunday 04 Jun 2023 at 0600 UTC
General situation
High pressure covers the Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Sunday 04 Jun until 1800 UTC on Sunday 04 Jun
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, locally 6 overnight and perhaps again around midday Sunday.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in the far north and the far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, perhaps locally 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in the far north and the far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- 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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