Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A northeasterly airflow with a few showers, will become a variable airflow through the next couple of days as high pressure sinks southwards to become centred across the United Kingdom.

Issued at: 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 4 Mar 2021

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 4 Mar 2021 to 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 5 Mar 2021

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly backing northwesterly, then westerly or southwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in northwest.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers in east, wintry at times.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later in north.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in north and east.
Weather: Showers in north.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate in north.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast, backing north or northwest, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming west or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming west or southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, decreasing 2 at times later.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather: Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility: Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 3 at times later in north.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in south, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight, occasionally smooth later in south.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in east and offshore in west.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first offshore.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Showers in east.
Visibility: Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeasterly, veering easterly later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 offshore in east.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in south.
Sea state: Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in inner Bristol Channel, otherwise slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Bristol Channel.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first to the north of Anglesey, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time later in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near St Davids Head and north of Anglesey.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly veering southeasterly, then veering southerly later in north, 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less later in south.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near st david's head.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable becoming southerly 2 to 4, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or northeast 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, veering southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East or southeast, veering south or southwest, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or northeast 4 to 6, veering southeast 3 or 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast veering south, then southwest later, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in North Channel, veering southeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later in Firth of Clyde.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less at first in Firth of Clyde, otherwise southeasterly veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly veering southeasterly, then southerly later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in far south.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in west, smooth at times in shelter.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeasterly, veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight until later in east, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair, showers later in north.
Visibility: Mainly good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly veering southerly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, then veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly veering southerly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, then veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later in north.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly backing northwesterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in north and east, slight at times in shelter.
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

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

Valid Thursday 04 Mar 2021 at 1800 UTC until Friday 05 Mar 2021 at 0600 UTC

General situation

The ridge of high pressure building southeast over Shetland waters will be maintained through Friday.

Forecast

Wind: Northerly backing northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first
Sea state: Moderate or rough, but slight in shelter close to shetland
Weather: Isolated wintry showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Friday 05 Mar until 1800 UTC on Friday 05 Mar

Wind: Northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time in northeast.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally rough in north, but slight in shelter close to shetland
Weather: Wintry showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly 2 to 4, veering northeast 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 overnight, perhaps locally 6.
Sea state: Smooth or slight with a low swell, becoming moderate in the north and west overnight.
Weather: Mist patches at first isolated showers occasional rain overnight, mostly clearing by mid-morning.
Visibility: Moderate or good, locally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeast to east 4 to 5, increasing 6 at times, veering east overnight.
Sea state: Slight to moderate, perhaps locally rather rough mid-channel, with a low swell.
Weather: Isolated showers mid-channel at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

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.

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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