Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Low pressure will move steadily northeastwards across southern Britain, before moving out into the North Sea later on Wednesday. This will bring unsettled, and at times, windy weather. Meanwhile, in the wake of the low, a cold front will gradually move south, and introduce a strong northerly flow. On Thursday, a ridge of high pressure is then expected to build from the west.

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
Northeast 6 to gale 8, backing north 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, but moderate in shelter, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 6 to gale 8, backing northeast 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming mainly rough later.
Weather
Rain at first, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest, backing west, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6, backing west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming north 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
Weather
Thundery showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 5 or 6, backing west 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers for a time.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest, veering west or northwest, then north later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest 3 to 5, veering north 5 or 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight in lyme bay.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 or 5, veering northeast 3 or 4.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest, veering northeast later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing north 3 or 4.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest, backing northwest later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near St Davids Head.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North, backing northwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 7, backing north 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North 4 or 5, backing north or northwest 3 or 4, then west or northwest later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 4 to 6, backing north 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 3 to 5, backing west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather
Showers.
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 northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northerly or northwesterly, backing westerly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first near Tiree, backing north 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but rough until later near Tiree.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 3 to 5, backing west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northeast, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in central section.
Weather
Showers or rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northeast, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming rough, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers or rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northeast 7 or gale 8, backing northwest 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming rough later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Wednesday 09 Oct 2024 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 09 Oct 2024 at 1800 UTC

General situation

An area of low pressure pushes north into Scandinavia, with high pressure slow moving near Iceland, maintaining a strong to gale force northerly flow over Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind
North 6 to gale 8
Sea state
Rough or very rough, moderate in sheltered waters south of shetland
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Mainly good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 09 Oct until 0600 UTC on Thursday 10 Oct

Wind
North 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first
Sea state
Rough or very rough, moderate in sheltered waters south of shetland
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Mainly good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly 3 to 4, occasionally variable 1 to 2 in the south of the area, veering northwest to north by midday, increasing 4 to 5 by dusk, perhaps locally 6 until midnight, mainly in the north of the area.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low swell, becoming slight to moderate overnight.
Weather
Rain in the south of the area until midday, occasional showers elsewhere, locally heavy overnight.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North to northwest 3 to 5, gradually veering northeasterly through the afternoon and evening.
Sea state
Slight to moderate with a low swell, decreasing smooth to slight overnight.
Weather
Occasional showers, locally heavy at first, becoming isolated overnight.
Visibility
Good or very good, locally 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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