Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

An area of low pressure moving steadily southwards in the North Sea will bring a cold northeasterly flow, giving strong winds and wintry showers to eastern parts. More settled conditions are expected elsewhere, but a band of rain and strong winds will arrive in the English Channel by Thursday.

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
North or northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in inner Moray Firth.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in north and slight in Moray Firth.
Weather
Showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northeast, backing northwest for a time, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then cyclonic 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest veering north, 5 to 7, then backing northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Rough becoming moderate.
Weather
Showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest veering east or northeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight later near shore.
Weather
Showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest, veering north or northeast for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 3 at times later.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest veering east or northeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly veering northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north, decreasing 3 at times later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in northeast.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate at first in northeast and mainly smooth in Thames estuary, otherwise slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in north.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly, veering northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far east.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming north, then veering northeast later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 2 to 4, then veering east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate to the west of the Lizard peninsula and smooth in lyme bay.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming north or northeast, 2 to 4, veering east 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 4 or 5, backing northeast 5 to 7.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Lands End.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near St Davids Head.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate near St Davids Head, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 2 to 4, veering northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth occasionally slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth occasionally slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest veering northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate at times in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming northerly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth occasionally slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly 3 or 4, veering northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in sheltered east, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in sheltered east, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
Sea state
Mainly smooth southeast of skye, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south, becoming rough at times later in north.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in south, becoming rough at times later in north.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Valid Tuesday 28 Nov 2023 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 29 Nov 2023 at 0600 UTC

General situation

A cold, showery northeast flow will persist over Shetland Waters

Forecast

Wind
Northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in east.
Sea state
Rough, but moderate to southwest of shetland.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 29 Nov until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 29 Nov

Wind
Northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable or westerly 1 to 3, occasionally 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
Weather
Isolated showers becoming occasional by Wednesday morning.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable or westerly 2 to 4, locally easterly 4 to 6 in the far north of the area becoming southerly 4 to 5 by evening in the south by morning becoming east to southeast 4 to 6 all areas.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low swell, becoming slight to moderate by Thursday morning, locally rather rough mid-channel.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, perhaps heavy at times soon, easing by Thursday midday.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps poor at times.

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

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