Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Most of the United Kingdom will remain in a cold east to northeasterly airflow during the next couple of days, with showers affecting many areas. Also, an area of low pressure currently lying over the Netherlands will bring some longer spells of rain to eastern coasts of England.

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
East or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in Moray Firth, but elsewhere moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers for a time.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Showers then fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East, veering southeast later, 4 or 5, decreasing 3 at times later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East, veering southeast later, 4 or 5, decreasing 3 at times later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough in north, moderate or rough in south, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast, veering east later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeasterly 3 or 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate until later in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers in east.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable mainly north 3 or less becoming east or northeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers then fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair, showers later.
Visibility
Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, mainly moderate in west, but occasionally rough near the Isles of Scilly.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but occasionally smooth in lyme bay and rough near the Isles of Scilly.
Weather
Rain at times in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in west.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 near Lands End.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Fair, showers at first in east.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, otherwise moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Fair, then rain at times in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in west.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly veering southeasterly, 4 or 5.
Sea state
Mainly smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate in far west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in far north, decreasing 3 at times elsewhere.
Sea state
Mainly smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate in west.
Weather
Rain at times in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

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 in north, decreasing 3 at times elsewhere.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in northwest, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, rain at times later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6, veering east or southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 5 or 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
Weather
Showers.
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, veering southeasterly later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in North Channel, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps wintry in far north, but becoming fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in North Channel, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight to the east of islay and jura, occasionally rough later in west.
Weather
Showers then mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight to the east of islay and jura and becoming rough near western Tiree.
Weather
Mainly fair, rain at times later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Mainly smooth or slight, but moderate in north and south.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but slight or moderate in north and moderate or rough in south.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later to the west of the Outer Hebrides.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 to 6, backing northeast 4 or 5 in north, then becoming cyclonic later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough until later in south.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

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

Valid Tuesday 11 Feb 2025 at 1200 UTC until Wednesday 12 Feb 2025 at 0000 UTC

General situation

High pressure to the north will continue to extend a ridge towards Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south
Sea state
Moderate or rough
Weather
Fair
Visibility
Good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Wednesday 12 Feb until 1200 UTC on Wednesday 12 Feb

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate, but rough at first in southwest
Weather
Fair
Visibility
Good

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 1 to 3, veering east 3 to 4 by dusk, increasing 3 to 5 by midnight.
Sea state
Smooth, locally slight.
Weather
Light drizzle and mist patches developing in the south of the area towards dawn, mainly near french coast.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at times.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 2 to 4, perhaps locally 5 at first, generally increasing 3 to 5 on Thursday.
Sea state
Slight, with a low but increasing swell, locally moderate in the north later.
Weather
Occasional drizzle and mist patches, mainly in the far south of the area.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally 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

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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