Coast and sea
General situation
An area of low pressure over north Scotland bringing unsettled and windy conditions with a risk of gales for many areas, will move east towards Scandinavia through the weekend, followed by a transient ridge of high pressure giving a brief period of quieter weather, before further Atlantic fronts move east later on Sunday and into Monday.
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
- North or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- In Moray Firth, slight or moderate occasionally rough, but elsewhere, moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time, backing southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time and rough or very rough for a time near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, veering northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 or 3, backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, veering northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 or 3, backing south or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 or 6, veering westerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeasterly 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in east, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, veering north 2 to 4, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering east or northeast 2 to 4, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- 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
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, veering northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in west, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth near shore.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, then smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in south.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 7 or gale 8, veering north, then south or southeast later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in far northwest, otherwise moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- 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
- Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight throughout in far north, otherwise moderate or rough becoming mainly slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far west, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 6 to gale 8, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southerly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps increasing gale 8 for a time in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 12 Oct 2024 at 1800 UTC until Sunday 13 Oct 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Area of low pressure will drift east across northern Scotland on Saturday. Ridge of high pressure will build from the west on Sunday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally wintry.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Sunday 13 Oct until 1800 UTC on Sunday 13 Oct
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally wintry, dying out.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel this evening, veering north to northeast 2 to 4 by dawn, then east to southeast 3 to 4 by midday.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate this evening, decreasing smooth to slight with a low swell later.
- Weather
- Patchy rain or isolated showers, clearing by mid-evening.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate until mid-evening.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 4, veering southerly overnight, perhaps locally 5 until dawn Monday, further veering southwest during the morning, decreasing 2 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, perhaps heavy and thundery, clearing by dawn.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
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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