Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Low over Ireland moves over Scotland on Wednesday and becomes slow moving, while low over biscay quickly moves northeast into the North Sea, reaching skagerrak by Thursday. The first low fills over the North Sea on Thursday with a ridge building over the British Isles, before a front approaches from the west later.

Issued at: 00:01 (UTC) on Wed 21 Oct 2020

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Wed 21 Oct 2020 to 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 22 Oct 2020

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, but northerly or northeasterly 6 or 7 in north, occasionally gale 8 at first.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but rough in north, occasionally very rough at first in northwest.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northerly 5 to 7, but 3 or 4 at first in southeast, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeasterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in Moray Firth, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 4 or less, becoming northwest 4 to 6 for a time, then southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest and rough in north.
Weather: Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor at first.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain, fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain, fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7 for a time.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly 4 or 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, then southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the wash and rough in east.
Weather: Occasional rain, fair later.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeasterly 4 or 5, veering southwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Occasional rain, fair later.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly 2 or 3 later.
Sea state: Moderate becoming slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 4 or 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in northwest, becoming rough for a time in south.
Weather: Occasional rain, fair later.
Visibility: Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 3 or 4.
Sea state: Moderate becoming slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming moderate, occasionally slight in lyme bay.
Weather: Occasional rain, fair later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate becoming mainly slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 4 or 5, veering west 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in Bristol Channel, otherwise moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West 3 to 5, backing southwest later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less, then west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but rough at first in west.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 to 6, veering southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest and smooth in southeast.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, veering west or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4, becoming northwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in southeast and rough or very rough later in northwest.
Weather: Occasional rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwest 5 to 7, backing southwest 4, then south 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east, but rough or very rough at first in northwest.
Weather: Showers, occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate 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: Southerly 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in North Channel and smooth later in Firth of Clyde.
Weather: Occasional rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 5 or 6, becoming northwesterly 5 to 7, backing westerly 4, then southerly 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in North Channel, and smooth at first in Firth of Clyde.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, becoming north 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest, becoming rough or very rough in west.
Weather: Occasional rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 6 to gale 8, backing northwest 3 to 5, then south 6 or 7.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest, but rough or very rough at first in west.
Weather: Showers, rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, backing north 6 or 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in north, occasionally slight in south.
Weather: Occasional rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 6 or 7, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
Weather: Showers, occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, backing north 6 or 7 later.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming rough later.
Weather: Occasional rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 6 or 7, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
Weather: Showers, occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeasterly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in west.
Sea state: Rough, occasionally very rough at first in northwest, but moderate in sheltered southwest.
Weather: Rain.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Valid Wednesday 21 Oct 2020 at 0000 UTC until Wednesday 21 Oct 2020 at 1200 UTC

General situation

A low centred west Scotland extends weather fronts over Shetland and northeasterly winds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forecast

Wind: Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, but 3 to 5 in far southeast
Sea state: Rough, occasionally very rough in northwest at first
Weather: Rain
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Wednesday 21 Oct until 0000 UTC on Thursday 22 Oct

Wind: Northeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 3 to 5 in southeast at first.
Sea state: Rough
Weather: Rain
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeast to south 4 to 6, veering southwest to west by mid-morning, increasing 6 to 7 at times, perhaps briefly locally gale 8 late morning.
Sea state: Slight to moderate with a moderate swell, increasing moderate to rather rough by afternoon, locally rough in the north for a time.
Weather: Rain, locally heavy, becoming patchy after dawn, clearing during the afternoon.
Visibility: Moderate to poor becoming good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest to south 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 by evening, becoming variable or west.
Sea state: Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate by mid-morning, and smooth or slight later.
Weather: Isolated showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally 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.

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.