Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A ridge of high pressure will drift east across the British Isles over the next 24 hours, before Atlantic fronts push into western areas later on Tuesday and on Wednesday.

Issued at: 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 Nov 2019

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 Nov 2019 to 06:00 (UTC) on Tue 19 Nov 2019

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

Inshore waters forecast explained

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable, then southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Smooth at first in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, then becoming rough or very rough later north and west of Orkney.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate offshore.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing west 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Mainly moderate.
Weather: Showers until later.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West backing south, 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Mainly moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North 5 or 6, backing northwest 3 or 4.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Showers until later.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwest backing south, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight for a time.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly 5 to 7, backing northwesterly 4 or 5.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough until later offshore, becoming slight later in Thames Estuary.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers until later, mainly in east.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwesterly backing southerly, 4 or 5, decreasing 3 for a time.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate at first near Norfolk.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in east, becoming variable 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate until later in east, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers until later in east.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate until later in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 3 or 4, becoming southeasterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
Weather: Fog patches at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor at first.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast, 4 or 5.
Sea state: Smooth becoming moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
Weather: Fog patches at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor at first.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth for a time east of Falmouth.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough, then very rough later west of Lands End.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast becoming variable, 3 or 4, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Mainly smooth in Bristol Channel, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later in Bristol Channel.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state: Mainly smooth at first in Bristol Channel, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming rough later west of lundy island.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast becoming variable, 3 or 4, then southeast 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough for a time in west.
Weather: Fog patches at first, rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally very poor at first.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, veering south 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate later.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or 4, becoming southeasterly 5 or 6.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth for a time in east.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time in North Channel.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in northwest.
Weather: Rain for a time later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate for a time 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: Variable 3 or less, becoming southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre and later in North Channel.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time in North Channel.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later, except in Firth of Clyde.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 or 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight until later in shelter, becoming rough later in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough in west.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Moderate in far south and far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate or rough in south, but occasionally very rough in far south, slight or moderate in north, but occasionally very rough in far north.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 to 7 later.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough later, except near Cape Wrath.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeast 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming very rough.
Weather: Rain later.
Visibility: Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northerly 3 to 5.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west, but slight in sheltered east.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

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

Valid Monday 18 Nov 2019 at 0600 UTC until Monday 18 Nov 2019 at 1800 UTC

General situation

Ridge extending from west maintains a slack northerly flow.

Forecast

Wind: Northerly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south and later in east
Sea state: Moderate occasionally rough at first in west, but slight to east of Shetland
Weather: Showers
Visibility: Good occasionally moderate

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 18 Nov until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 19 Nov

Wind: Northerly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in east
Sea state: Moderate, but slight to east of Shetland.
Weather: Showers
Visibility: Mainly good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North to northeast 4 to 5, locally 6 at first in north, otherwise 2 to 3, becoming variable 3 or less by mid evening, then becoming southerly 3 to 4 after midnight.
Sea state: Slight to moderate, becoming smooth by dusk, then becoming mainly slight later tonight.
Weather: Showers at first, otherwise fair.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor near French coasts on Tuesday morning.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly 3 to 4, increasing 5 at times from mid afternoon.
Sea state: Smooth to slight, becoming moderate to rough by midnight with a moderate swell developing in the west.
Weather: Fair or fine, occasional rain in west overnight.
Visibility: Moderate to good.

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.