Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Various areas of low pressure in the vicinity of the British Isles will maintain unsettled weather conditions during the next couple of days.

Issued at: 06:00 (UTC) on Wed 12 May 2021

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Wed 12 May 2021 to 06:00 (UTC) on Thu 13 May 2021

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or northeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northwest.
Weather: Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeast, backing north later, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers, fog patches at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in west.
Weather: Rain or showers, fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeast, backing north later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in Firth of Forth, slight or moderate elsewhere.
Weather: Fog patches, occasional drizzle.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches in north.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northeast 3 or 4.
Sea state: Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Fog patches.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest, backing southeast, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather: Showers for a time, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast, then backing north later, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather: Fog patches developing.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable, then easterly later, 3 or 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers for a time.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly backing northeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers, fog patches in north.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwesterly becoming variable, 3 or 4, then becoming easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in east.
Weather: Showers, rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then northerly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate for a time.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest 3 or 4, becoming cyclonic, mainly northeast, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers then rain.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic becoming north or northwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwesterly becoming variable, 3 or 4, then becoming northwesterly 4 or 5 later in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
Weather: Showers, rain developing in east.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or 4 at first in west, otherwise northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
Weather: Mainly fair in west, rain in east.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor in east.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Bristol Channel.
Weather: Showers, rain later in Bristol Channel.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Bristol Channel.
Weather: Rain in east, otherwise mainly fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor in east.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic becoming south or southwest, 3 to 5, then becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight or moderate until later in south, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery, fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly northerly 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south.
Weather: Showers, rain at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly south, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, thundery at times, fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeast 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair then thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, becoming mainly southeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Occasional rain then showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable, becoming mainly northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate west of Tiree.
Weather: Rain then showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate west of Tiree.
Weather: Showers for a time.
Visibility: Good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, but variable 3 at times in far south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
Weather: Showers, occasional rain at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally variable 3 in far south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in south, moderate or rough in north.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery for a time.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, but variable 3 at times in far south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in south, but in north moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Showers, occasional rain at first.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in southeast.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Fog patches, then mainly fair.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Wednesday 12 May 2021 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 12 May 2021 at 1800 UTC

General situation

Ridge of high pressure will build in from the north during Wednesday

Forecast

Wind: Easterly ot northeasterly 4 to 6 occasionally 3 at first in southeast
Sea state: Moderate or rough
Weather: Fog patches at first then fair
Visibility: Good occasionally very poor at first

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 12 May until 0600 UTC on Thursday 13 May

Wind: Northeast 4 to 6
Sea state: Moderate or rough
Weather: Mainly fair
Visibility: Mainly good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly 3 to 4, backing southeast 4 to 5 this morning, becoming cyclonic 3 to 6 in the afternoon, occasionally 7, then northwest to west 4 to 6 from late evening.
Sea state: Slight with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough late afternoon, locally rough.
Weather: Isolated showers rain soon spreading in from the southwest, occasionally heavy, mostly clearing overnight.
Visibility: Moderate to good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West to northwest 5 to 6, occasionally 4.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rather rough, with a low swell.
Weather: Occasional rain in the north of the area, spreading southwards by evening.
Visibility: Moderate to good, occasionally moderate to 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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