Coast and sea
General situation
A ridge of high pressure will maintain relatively quiet weather across the south through Tuesday. Meanwhile, an Atlantic low will push fronts and strong winds steadily east across northern waters. Gales are possible in the northwest by Wednesday as the low moves towards the Faeroes.
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
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 or 3, then backing southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney at first, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth for a time in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 near Cape Wrath, decreasing 2 to 4 later to the east of Orkney.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South, veering southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast, veering south or southwest for a time, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northeasterly, 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly, veering southeasterly at times, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4 at first in east, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north, 3 to 5, then becoming variable, mainly southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west of the Lizard peninsula.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight east of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches in west, otherwise fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming west or southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southwest, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less until later in Bristol Channel, otherwise southwest 3 or 4, veering northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, occasionally rough later near Lands End, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later near Anglesey.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first near Anglesey, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in north.
- Weather
- Drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest 3 or 4, then increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 3 or 4, backing south for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 5 or 6, veering southwesterly later in south and becoming variable 2 to 4 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in far northwest, otherwise smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 or 6 at first in south, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwest 3 to 5 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 4 to 6, then variable 2 to 4 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate near the Mull of Kintyre, otherwise smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly at first in south, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later except near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south 5 or 6, veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain at first then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor at first, becoming good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West backing southwest 3 or 4, backing south 5 to 7 later perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West backing southwest 3 or 4, backing south 5 to 7 later perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, 4 to 6, backing west or southwest 2 or 3, then backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight in sheltered east at first, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 15 Jun 2021 at 0000 UTC until Tuesday 15 Jun 2021 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure will build from the west on Tuesday. Atlantic fronts will approach later in the day from southwest.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6 backing south 3 or 4
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, slight in well sheltered eastern coastal waters
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainly good or very good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Tuesday 15 Jun until 0000 UTC on Wednesday 16 Jun
- Wind
- South 3 or 4 backing southeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Fair then rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, perhaps occasionally 5 mid-channel before dawn, becoming northeast or variable 1 to 3 Tuesday evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches early morning and again late evening, mainly near french coasts.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or variable 1 to 3, increasing 2 to 4 by midday, perhaps locally 5 by evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog Wednesday morning occasional showers from midday, becoming more frequent and heavier by evening with a risk of thunder.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to poor, perhaps locally 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.
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