Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A ridge of high pressure moves eastwards across the North Sea during Monday. A strengthening southerly flow will affect northern Scotland as Atlantic fronts fringe into the area. A low will move east over southern England before filling later on Monday.

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
South or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough to north and west of Orkney.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough in north.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming south or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair, showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Thames estuary at first.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South veering southwest 4 to 6, then becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain then fair.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, becoming good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming east or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5 veering south 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers or fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather
Thundery showers or fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor later.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
Weather
Thundery showers or fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor later.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Heavy rain later.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate or poor later.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in northeast.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers 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
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in North Channel.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but 6 or 7 in North Channel.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
Weather
Occasional rain at first in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north and far south.
Weather
Occasional rain until later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far south.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain until later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in west.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 3 to 5 veering southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Valid Monday 14 Oct 2024 at 0600 UTC until Monday 14 Oct 2024 at 1800 UTC

General situation

A ridge of high pressure over Shetland Waters will decline on Monday as weather fronts push in from the west with a strengthening southerly flow.

Forecast

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, veering south or southwest 5 to 7
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair at first, becoming occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 14 Oct until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 15 Oct

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain, becoming mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 5, veering west to northwest 2 to 4 after midday, becoming variable 1 to 3 towards dusk, then southeast 2 to 4 after midnight.
Sea state
Slight, locally moderate in the north and west, decreasing smooth around dusk, with a low swell throughout.
Weather
Any light drizzle or mist patches clearing by mid-morning.
Visibility
Good, perhaps locally moderate or poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East to southeast 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 during Tuesday afternoon, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel from dusk.
Sea state
Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate, with a low swell.
Weather
Risk of mist or fog patches at first isolated showers developing in the afternoon, becoming scattered in the evening and with a small risk of thunder.
Visibility
Good, locally moderate or poor at times, perhaps very poor at first.

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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