Coast and sea
General situation
A strong but declining area of high pressure centered west of the United Kingdom will continue to extend a ridge eastwards across many areas, but slowly move southwards. Low pressure moving into the Norwegian Sea will drive a cold front south across northern areas on Wednesday and Thursday, giving strong northerly winds with gales in the north.
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
- Westerly or northwesterly, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in south, increasing gale 8 or perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- In northwest, rough or very rough, occasionally high later, in southeast, slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate in Moray Firth, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in west, becoming rough later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 near Rattray Head, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east, or very rough for a time near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly west, 2 to 4, becoming west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, backing westerly, 2 to 4, backing southwesterly 4 to 6, then veering northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then north or northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, backing west 4 or 5, then veering northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly, backing northwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly, backing northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, but becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, backing westerly for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later near Anglesey.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 5 or 6, veering northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north, backing westerly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south, becoming rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight at times in south, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, backing westerly, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first, then increasing 7 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough for a time near Mull of Kintyre, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 at first, then decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in south, veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale at first 9 in far north, then decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in central areas, becoming very rough for a time in far north.
- Weather
- Wintry showers, squally in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in south, veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later in north.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale at first 9 in north, then decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first.
- Weather
- Wintry showers, squally in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high later in west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 01 Apr 2020 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 01 Apr 2020 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A deep area of low pressure forming in Norwegian Sea during Wednesday will drift southeastwards into Norway on Thursday. A very strong west or northwesterly airflow becoming established over Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough
- Weather
- Rain then showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 01 Apr until 0600 UTC on Thursday 02 Apr
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8 perhaps severe gale 9 later
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming high in west later
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, perhaps locally 6 at first, occasionally variable 1 to 3 during the evening, backing northerly 2 to 4 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth to slight through the day.
- Weather
- Risk of light showers overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, backing northwesterly 4 to 5 from late morning, decreasing 2 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight, perhaps moderate in the north during the afternoon, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Isolated light showers at times.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate.
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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