Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

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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