Coast and sea
General situation
A ridge of high pressure to the southeast of the United Kingdom will gradually be replaced by low pressure in the north with some rain or showers here and across some other western areas, but remaining predominantly settled in the southeast. Winds will be mainly light or moderate across all areas.
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
- Southerly or southwesterly, becoming cyclonic later in north, 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly southwesterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later, then northerly 4 or 5 later in far north.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in north, southwesterly 3 or 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable at first in north, otherwise westerly or southwesterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southwesterly, 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming mainly southerly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south then southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate until later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast, backing northeast later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth near shore.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South backing southeast, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Rough at first to the west of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast backing northeast, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in northwest, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near Lands End, otherwise moderate, occasionally slight in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in west and smooth in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but mainly smooth east of Anglesey.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5 at first in south, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in south.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable or southwest 3 or less, becoming southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate in far north, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight east of islay and jura, otherwise moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight east of islay and jura, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight east of skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth near skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate between barra and canna, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in north and west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 20 Jan 2025 at 0600 UTC until Monday 20 Jan 2025 at 1800 UTC
General situation
An area of low pressure will move slowly southeast towards the Western Isles.
Forecast
- Wind
- South veering southwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 20 Jan until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 21 Jan
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 4, locally 2 near french coasts.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Mist and fog patches until midday, and again overnight, mainly near french coasts.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 3 to 4, locally 2 near french coasts, backing east to northeast 3 to 4 Wednesday morning.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Mist and fog patches until midday, mainly near french coasts rain overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor or very poor.
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.
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