Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Low pressure in the southern North Sea will track eastwards and fill. Meanwhile a ridge of high pressure will gradually build in from the west over the next couple of days.

Issued at: 18:00 (UTC) on Sat 6 Jun 2020

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sat 6 Jun 2020 to 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 7 Jun 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: Northwesterly 4 or 5 at first in east, otherwise northerly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 later in west.
Sea state: Rough or very rough west and north of Orkney, otherwise moderate or rough, but slight at first in Moray Firth.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, becoming variable, mainly westerly, 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight in Moray Firth.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Variable 3 or 4, becoming north or northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight for a time in Firth of Forth.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate until later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, then becoming variable later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight in firths of Tay and Forth.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough later.
Weather: Occasional rain.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 4 to 6, veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Rough becoming moderate.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 for a time.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight for a time in south, then becoming mainly rough later.
Weather: Showers then rain.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North or northwest 5 or 6, veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough until later.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers until later.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, veering northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming slight in south and for a time in north.
Weather: Thundery showers at first, occasional rain later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwesterly 4 to 6, veering northeasterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Mainly slight throughout in Thames Estuary and later in The Wash, otherwise moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers until later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, then backing southwesterly later.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, becoming slight later.
Weather: Showers at first and later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly veering northerly then northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in east, smooth or slight in west.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers until later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate until later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West 5 or 6, veering northwest 3 or 4, then backing west or southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather: Occasional rain, showers later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West veering north or northeast, then becoming variable later, 3 or 4.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwest 4 to 6, veering north 3 to 5, but becoming variable 3 or 4 at times.
Sea state: Rough becoming moderate in far west, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth later in Lyme Bay.
Weather: Occasional rain or showers until later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate until later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable, mainly north or northeast, 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Rough at first in southwest, otherwise moderate, becoming smooth or slight in far north.
Weather: Occasional rain until later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate until later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwest veering east or northeast for a time, 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in Cardigan Bay.
Weather: Occasional rain at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming mainly smooth later.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 near Mull of Galloway, becoming variable 3 or 4 later in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in Solway Firth.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic becoming east, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near Mull of Kintyre, then becoming variable, mainly northwest, 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate until later in west.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Northwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwest, veering east or northeast, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northwest, 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state: Rough until later in northwest, otherwise moderate.
Weather: Showers until later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then northwest later.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming 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: Northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde, otherwise moderate.
Weather: Mainly fair.
Visibility: Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then northwesterly later.
Sea state: Smooth throughout in Firth of Clyde, otherwise moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 near the mainland.
Sea state: Rough until later near Islay and Tiree, otherwise moderate, becoming slight in shelter.
Weather: Showers until later.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4, then northwest later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in shelter.
Weather: Fair.
Visibility: Good.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough until later in far north, becoming slight in central areas.
Weather: Occasional rain for a time.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North or northeast 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in south.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state: Rough or very rough, becoming moderate later.
Weather: Occasional rain for a time.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: North 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming mainly slight in south.
Weather: Showers at first.
Visibility: Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: North 6 or 7, backing northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Rough or very rough.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good.

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

Valid Saturday 06 Jun 2020 at 1800 UTC until Sunday 07 Jun 2020 at 0600 UTC

General situation

A strong north or northwest airflow will affect Shetland and surrounding waters.

Forecast

Wind: North 6 or 7
Sea state: Rough or very rough
Weather: Showers
Visibility: Good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Sunday 07 Jun until 1800 UTC on Sunday 07 Jun

Wind: North backing northwest 5 to 7
Sea state: Mainly rough
Weather: Showers
Visibility: Good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Westerly 4 to 6, perhaps locally 7 at first, veering northwesterly 3 to 5 around midnight, decreasing 2 to 4 Sunday morning, locally variable 1 to 3.
Sea state: Rather rough to rough, decreasing moderate to rather rough before midnight, then slight Sunday morning with a low swell.
Weather: Frequent showers, locally heavy, becoming isolated Sunday morning, then dying out in the afternoon.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor until morning.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Northwesterly 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 3, becoming generally northeast 2 to 4 by dawn, perhaps locally 5.
Sea state: Slight, locally smooth, with a low swell.
Weather: Scattered showers developing Monday morning, mainly in the southeast of the area, perhaps locally heavy.
Visibility: Good, locally moderate from morning.

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.