Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

High pressure centred over northern and eastern parts of the United Kingdom will maintain settled conditions across the inshore waters areas during the next couple of days.

Issued at: 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 23 Apr 2021

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 23 Apr 2021 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 24 Apr 2021

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly east or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later near Cape Wrath.
Sea state: Slight or moderate to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4 near Orkney, otherwise east veering southeast, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly east or northeast 2 to 4.
Sea state: Mainly slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly northeast 2 to 4, becoming east 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later, then becoming northeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming easterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly backing northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 at times in north.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near North Foreland.
Sea state: Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers later.
Visibility: Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East 4 to 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East or northeast 5 or 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough later in far south.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times in west.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough later west of the Lizard peninsula.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times in west and offshore.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times near Lands End.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in south and west, becoming rough at times later near Lands End.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East 4 to 6, occasionally 7 near Lands End.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far southwest.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near St Davids Head, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near st david's head.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near st david's head and later in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 at times near shore, increasing 5 at times later in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly, veering southeasterly for a time, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly for a time, 3 or 4.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in North Channel.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
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: Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly, becoming variable at times, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly east, 2 to 4, becoming east 4 or 5 for a time.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable, mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly east, 2 to 4, becoming east 4 or 5 for a time.
Sea state: Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable, mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable, mainly north or northwest, 2 to 4.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

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

Valid Friday 23 Apr 2021 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 24 Apr 2021 at 0000 UTC

General situation

High pressure to the north and west of Shetland with a slightly unstable, generally northerly flow over Shetland waters.

Forecast

Wind: Variable, mainly north or northwest, 2 to 4
Sea state: Slight or moderate
Weather: Isolated showers
Visibility: Good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 24 Apr until 1200 UTC on Saturday 24 Apr

Wind: Variable, mainly north or northeast, 2 to 4
Sea state: Slight or moderate
Weather: Isolated showers
Visibility: Good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly 4 to 6, with occasional gusts to 35kt, perhaps occasionally 3 in the far southeast of the area.
Sea state: Slight to moderate, occasionally rather rough mid-channel.
Weather: Fine.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East to northeast 4 to 6, increasing 5 to 7, perhaps with gusts to 40kt.
Sea state: Slight in the far southeast otherwise moderate to rather rough, increasing rough in the far northwest by evening.
Weather: Fair or fine.
Visibility: Good, perhaps occasionally 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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