Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

High pressure centred over Scandinavia will extend a ridge across much of the United Kingdom. Atlantic weather fronts will however encroach into northwestern waters.

Issued at: 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 16 Apr 2021 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sat 17 Apr 2021

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times, except in far east.
Sea state: Mainly smooth in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain later in north.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable becoming south, 3 or 4, then backing southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough later west and north of Orkney, but smooth until later in Moray Firth.
Weather: Occasional rain at times in north.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southeast 3 to 5, but becoming variable 2 at times in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth, veering southwest 3 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate for a time in north.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest becoming variable, 3 or 4, then southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly southeast, 3 or 4.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or 4, becoming south or southeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state: Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 near North Foreland.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 until later near North Foreland.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeasterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 for a time in west.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally smooth in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 for a time in west, then backing northerly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly becoming variable, 3 or 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later west of Lands End.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly southeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in far west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state: Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable, becoming mainly south later, 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast becoming variable, 3 or 4, occasionally 2 later.
Sea state: Mainly smooth.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth, occasionally slight later in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly south, 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in far northwest.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southeast, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in east.
Weather: Occasional rain later.
Visibility: Mainly good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time in North Channel.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather: Occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until for a time near Tiree.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough near Coll and Tiree.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southeast, 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time in far south.
Weather: Occasional rain for a time.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in far south.
Weather: Occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough for a time west of the Outer Hebrides.
Weather: Occasional rain for a time.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South 4 to 6, increasing 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later west of the Outer Hebrides.
Weather: Occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Friday 16 Apr 2021 at 0600 UTC until Friday 16 Apr 2021 at 1800 UTC

General situation

Southerly flow covers Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind: South 4 to 6
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in northwest
Weather: Fair
Visibility: Good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 16 Apr until 0600 UTC on Saturday 17 Apr

Wind: South 3 to 5
Sea state: Moderate or rough
Weather: Fair
Visibility: Good

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeasterly 3 to 4, locally 5 at times today.
Sea state: Slight, locally smooth.
Weather: Risk of mist patches near Normandy coast around dawn, isolated showers, dying out early afternoon.
Visibility: Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate or poor this morning.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northeasterly 2 to 4, veering east to southeast 1 to 3 overnight.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Risk of mist patches near Normandy coast around dawn.
Visibility: Good or very good, perhaps locally poor 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.

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.