Coast and sea
General situation
Low pressure to the north and high pressure to the south of the British Isles will bring a westerly or southwesterly flow initially. This also brings strong winds and occasional gales to the north, with lighter winds in the south. Winds backing southerly through Wednesday as high pressure moves eastwards, before a complex low reaches Ireland on Thursday.
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 backing southerly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north and later also near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north and near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in northwest.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 later in north, perhaps gale 8 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, backing easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly or southeasterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southeasterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing southeast 5 or 6, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later west of the Lizard.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, then west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough west of the Lizard, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east and rough later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest, then west or northwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly backing southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west, becoming cyclonic later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast, 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 or 6, occasionally g7 at first, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7, backing southeasterly 5 or 6, veering northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
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 5 or 6, increasing 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7, backing southeasterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, backing south 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, then north later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, backing south 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then north later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, backing south 7 to severe gale 9.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then north later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Showers then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 23 Oct 2024 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 24 Oct 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Strong southwesterly flow will back southerly as a deep low moves north into eastern Iceland.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough in north and west, but moderate in sheltered waters east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers at first then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate first.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 24 Oct until 1200 UTC on Thursday 24 Oct
- Wind
- Southerly 6 or 7, occasionally 5 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming very rough in north and west, but moderate at first east of shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 3 increasing 4 to 5 by evening, locally 6 after dusk until early Thursday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Mist patches near french coasts overnight.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast to south 4 to 5, occasionally 6 in the north of the area from late afternoon, veering southwesterly 3 to 4 by early Friday, veering west to northwest 4 to 5 by midday.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate by dusk, with a low swell throughout.
- Weather
- Rain or showers spreading eastwards in the evening.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or 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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