Coast and sea
General situation
Further strong winds and gales expected on Sunday as a new low approaches bring rain and showers from the west. Winds ease off on Monday morning but strong winds expected to continue in the west.
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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east, veering southeasterly 3 or 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly east or northeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, veering southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5 ,then veering southeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, backing southerly 3 to 5, then veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times nearshore.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first offshore.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the wash and Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times nearshore.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first offshore.
- Weather
- Fair,then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times nearshore.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough offshore, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough, occasionally high later in west, moderate or rough in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- In west, rough or very rough, occasionally high in far west, in east, moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but slight or moderate in Bristol Channel, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, then fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in Bristol Channel, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 6 to gale 8, backing south or southwest 4 to 6, then increasing 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in north and high in southwest later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8, backing south 3 to 5, then increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in southwest, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 6 to gale 8, backing southeasterly 3 to 5, then veering westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 in south, becoming northwesterly 4 to 6, then backing easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south and smooth later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, backing southeast 4 to 6, then veering 5 to 7 later west or southwest 5 to 7, soon backing southeast 4 to 6, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, then backing southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 6 to gale 8, backing southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or roug, occasionally very rough in north, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then southeast 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 6 to gale 8, backing southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, then backing northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, then becoming southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly backing southerly, then easterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4, veering southeasterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, becoming easterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming east 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Sunday 10 Dec 2023 at 0000 UTC until Sunday 10 Dec 2023 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Complex deep low over central UK, maintaining an east or southeasterly flow over Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Sunday 10 Dec until 0000 UTC on Monday 11 Dec
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Showers at first, then mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 6 to 7, backing southwest 5 to 6 overnight, occasionally 7 in the north of the area during the afternoon and again late evening.
- Sea state
- Rough to very rough, decreasing moderate to rough overnight, by evening becoming very rough in the north of the area.
- Weather
- Mainly fair rain by late morning, clearing by afternoon isolated showers later.
- Visibility
- Mainly good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest to west 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in the north of the area, decreasing 3 to 4 during the morning, backing south 4 to 5 by evening.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rough, locally very rough in the north of the area for a time overnight later becoming moderate to slight in the southeast, elsewhere rather rough to rough.
- Weather
- Isolated showers at first then fair overnight, with rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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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