Coast and sea
General situation
An area of low pressure currently lying over the northeast Atlantic will move towards northwestern Scotland during the next 24 hours. This will bring rain and either strong or gale force winds to all areas.
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
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 for a time, perhaps gale 8 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5 veering southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, moderate or rough in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southeast 5 to 7, veering south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, then becoming rough for a time later in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4 backing southeast 5 to 7, veering south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4 backing southeast 5 to 7, veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 to 4 backing southerly 5 to 7, veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 to 4 backing southerly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4 backing south 5 or 6, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6 increasing 7 or gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 veering southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6 increasing 7 or gale 8, veering west 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, then becoming high for a time to the west of Land's End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in far west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in west and 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6 increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering west 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in west.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, then veering south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, then becoming high for a time near St David's Head.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 4 to 6 later, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south and 4 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4 backing southeast 5 to 7, veering south or southwest 5 or 6 later, then occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5 backing southeast 6 to gale 8, then veering south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Fair then rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly, veering westerly later, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in south and 4 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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 or southeasterly 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, then veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 veering westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, veering south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough except in shelter.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering west or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south and 4 in north, veering southerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 veering southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight just north and east of Skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south and 4 in north, veering southerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6 veering southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in south and slight in north.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first and very poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 3 or 4 veering southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 17 Nov 2023 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 18 Nov 2023 at 0600 UTC
General situation
High pressure over Shetland Waters will move away east as a deep low in the Atlantic pushes weather fronts over Scotland.
Forecast
- Wind
- East 3 or 4 veering southeast 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 18 Nov until 1800 UTC on Saturday 18 Nov
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 by midnight, with gusts to 35kt, perhaps locally 7 Saturday morning, locally 4 in the south of the area in the afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough overnight, further increasing rough in the north and west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle spreading east, locally heavy, with mist patches, clearing later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, increasing 5 to 7 overnight, locally gale 8 mid-channel from dawn.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate with a low swell in the southeast at first, otherwise rather rough to rough, increasing very rough in the northwest of the area from dawn.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate.
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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