Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Low pressure will dominate the weather across the British Isles during the next couple of days, bringing unsettled conditions and some very strong winds, especially in southern parts.

Issued at: 00:01 (UTC) on Sat 14 Dec 2019

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Sat 14 Dec 2019 to 00:00 (UTC) on Sun 15 Dec 2019

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: Northwesterly backing westerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in Moray Firth, but elsewhere moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Westerly backing southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
Sea state: Rough or very rough in north, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in north, increasing gale 8 for a time later in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near Rattray Head.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest, veering west for a time, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times, then backing south 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly, veering westerly for a time, 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 for a time in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 at times later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 at times.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 until later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 5 to 7 becoming west 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, then backing southwest later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally 6 at first, then backing southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough in east, very rough or high in west.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 at times later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west, but becoming moderate later in Lyme Bay.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 at times later.
Sea state: Moderate at times in Bristol Channel, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high in west.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, then decreasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Moderate at times in Bristol Channel, otherwise rough or very rough, but occasionally high at first in west.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 for a time, then backing southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate at times in north, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, then decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate at times in north, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough for a time.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest, backing south later, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in south, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather: Showers, then rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest, backing south later, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 for a time in north, then decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough for a time in far north.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 for a time later, then decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in Firth of Clyde, elsewhere mainly moderate or rough, but becoming very rough for a time near the Mull of Kintyre.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Westerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then backing southerly later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic at first in north, otherwise westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in south, decreasing 4 later.
Sea state: Mainly rough or very rough, but moderate in shelter.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first, then backing southwest later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Tiree.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Moderate, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 at first in far south, otherwise northerly backing westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough in far south and far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West 4 to 6 backing southwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Moderate or rough in far south and far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 at first in far south, otherwise northerly backing westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Westerly 4 to 6 backing southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in north.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or squally showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 in south, then veering southerly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in northeast, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

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

Valid Saturday 14 Dec 2019 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 14 Dec 2019 at 1200 UTC

General situation

An area of low pressure will move northwest between Shetland and Orkney overnight and continue northwards on Saturday.

Forecast

Wind: Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 for a time in far east, veering southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 in south and west.
Sea state: High in northeast, otherwise very rough, occasionally rough later.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 14 Dec until 0000 UTC on Sunday 15 Dec

Wind: Southeasterly 6 to gale 8 at first in northeast, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: High at first in northeast, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or northwest 7 or gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 with gusts to 60kt at first, backing west or southwest 6 or 7 around dawn, occasionally gale 8 with gusts to 55kt, then south or southwest by dusk, locally 5, veering west towards midnight.
Sea state: Rough to very rough, increasing high at time until dawn, decreasing moderate to rather rough in the south at times later.
Weather: Squally showers with a risk of hail, turning to a period of rain for a time in the evening.
Visibility: Moderate to good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Westerly 6 to gale 8 with gusts to 50kt, backing southerly or southwesterly by dawn, locally 5 mainly in the south, decreasing generally 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Rough to very rough, decreasing moderate to rather rough in the south by midday with a moderate swell.
Weather: Showers, locally heavy with a risk of hail and thunder.
Visibility: Moderate to good, occasionally poor.

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.

Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.

Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.