Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A large Atlantic low to the west of Ireland will gradually edge eastwards, reaching the Irish Sea by tomorrow evening.

Issued at: 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 17 Oct 2019

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 17 Oct 2019 to 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 18 Oct 2019

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast backing northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair near Orkney, otherwise showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North or northeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming 5 or 6, occasionally 7 near Rattray Head.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 or less, becoming north 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers, thundery for a time.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 3 to 5, veering southwest 5 or 6, perhaps 7 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
Weather: Rain or showers, thundery at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Showers, thundery for a time.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly veering southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight, becoming moderate or rough in south.
Weather: Rain or showers, thundery at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Rough, becoming moderate.
Weather: Showers, thundery at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 overnight.
Sea state: Rough, occasionally very rough south of Isle of Wight.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5.
Sea state: Rough, becoming moderate.
Weather: Showers, thundery at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 overnight.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west 4 or 5.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 for a time tonight, then veering westerly tomorrow.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate.
Weather: 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: Southwesterly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4 later in north.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate later in north.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming north 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming north 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally rough in south, becoming mostly slight later.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming north 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Thundery showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming north 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in northwest.
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: Southerly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate becoming slight in shelter, but rough at first near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough at times.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6, backing north 2 to 4.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, but slight in shelter.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, then mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6, backing north 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 2 to 4, increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers, then mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 4 to 6, backing north 2 to 4.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 2 to 4, increasing 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, then mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast 3 or 4.
Sea state: Mainly slight, but with a moderate swell, particularly west or Shetland.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Valid Thursday 17 Oct 2019 at 1800 UTC until Friday 18 Oct 2019 at 0600 UTC

General situation

Low to the west of Scotland slowly progresses east causing the weak ridge of high over Shetland waters to decline on Thursday.

Forecast

Wind: Westerly 3 or 4, backing southeast later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in far north and far west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Friday 18 Oct until 1800 UTC on Friday 18 Oct

Wind: Southeast 3 or less, backing northeast and increasing 4 later in the west.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in north at first, becoming slight east of shetland later.
Weather: Mainly fair, isolated showers.
Visibility: Good.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South to southwest 5 to 7, increasing 6 to gale 8 with gusts to 50kt by late evening, veering southwest to west after midnight.
Sea state: Rather rough to rough, locally moderate jersey southwards at first this evening, becoming generally rough until morning, locally very rough mid-channel.
Weather: Scattered showers, locally heavy, becoming frequent and squally for a time overnight, with a risk of hail and thunder.
Visibility: Moderate to good, occasionally poor in showers.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 6 to 7, locally gale 8 with gusts to 50kt mid-channel at first in the evening, decreasing 4 to 6 overnight.
Sea state: Rather rough or rough, locally moderate jersey southward with swell, becoming generally moderate towards evening.
Weather: Scattered squally showers, with a risk of hail and thunder at first, becoming isolated Saturday afternoon.
Visibility: Moderate to good, occasionally poor in showers.

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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