Coast and sea
General situation
An area of high pressure will be over the United Kingdom for the rest of Monday, bringing settled weather conditions to the british inshore waters. However, strong winds persist in the far north and Atlantic weather fronts will give some rain to the northwest on Tuesday.
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
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, but increasing 5 to 7 in northwest and later elsewhere, perhaps gale 8 later near Cape Wrath.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough to the west and north of Orkney and smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 near Cape Wrath and 4 in Moray Firth, veering northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough to the west and north of Orkney, elsewhere slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3 for at first in north, otherwise southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in Firth of Forth and rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first, veering northwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first near northeast Norfolk, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5, veering northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 1 or 2, becoming variable 3 or less, then southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or less, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west 3 or 4 later, veering north 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 3 or 4, veering north or northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east until later, slight or moderate elsewhere, occasionally rough later near channel islands.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in far west and smooth in Bristol Channel and severn estuary.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering southwest 3 to 5, then north or northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southerly 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5 later, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, veering northwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later except in Liverpool Bay.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6, then northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in Liverpool Bay, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later except in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or 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 southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first except near the Mull of Kintyre, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, veering northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough to the north and west of islay.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest veering north or northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the southeast of islay and jura, but elsewhere moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough in far north and later in south, but elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest veering north or northwest, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in central areas.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest veering north or northwest, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in north and west, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 17 Jan 2022 at 1800 UTC until Tuesday 18 Jan 2022 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure from the south builds back over Shetland Waters, some weak troughs in the westerly airstream on Tuesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- West backing southwesterly, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in the west.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland.
- Weather
- Patchy rain becoming mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Tuesday 18 Jan until 1800 UTC on Tuesday 18 Jan
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 later in the northwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast to east 1 to 3, veering southeasterly 2 to 4 overnight, backing easterly 1 to 3 towards dusk tomorrow.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches from midnight until midday, mainly near the french coast.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or variable 1 to 3, becoming westerly 2 to 4 by morning, veering northerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth locally slight, with a low swell, becoming mainly slight later, perhaps locally moderate.
- Weather
- Patchy light rain or drizzle developing overnight, becoming briefly heavier around midday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps 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.
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.