Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure remains across the British Isles, with light winds and fair weather for most, while a waving front will continue to affect northern Scotland, bringing some drizzle and fog patches at times. A shallow showery low will then move northeast into northwest France on Saturday and into 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
- East or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in far northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in far northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southeast later, 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
- East or southeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 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, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east, 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
- Variable, mainly east, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, but showers later in southwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, but showers later in far southwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in northwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable at times, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable at times, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 12 Aug 2022 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 13 Aug 2022 at 0600 UTC
General situation
High across the area maintaining light winds. Weak front spreading from south later Friday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in lee shelter in east
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then occasional rain or drizzle
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 13 Aug until 1800 UTC on Saturday 13 Aug
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in lee shelter in east
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle and fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, perhaps 5 south east of jersey at first, becoming locally variable at times on Saturday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast to east 3 to 5 Saturday evening, becoming east to southeast 2 to 4 overnight, then variable by afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers or thunderstorms, mainly in the south of the area, Sunday morning chance of mist or fog patches developing Sunday afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate to poor from Sunday afternoon.
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.