Coast and sea
General situation
A low centre moves northwards through the North Sea today, bringing strong winds and rain to the eastern waters into this evening. Elsewhere winds will be lighter with scattered showers, before several squally bands of rain with strong southerly winds will affect the west tomorrow and on Tuesday.
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
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, then southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north and east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly or southeasterly, 4 to 6, but becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north and east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly backing northwesterly then southerly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first near Rattray Head and 3 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth and rough near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly backing southeasterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth and rough in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, backing southwest, then south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later in south.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, backing southwest, then south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, backing southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, mainly westerly, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later except in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, backing southeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7 at first in east, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly backing southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first, then increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, backing southwesterly 4 to 6, then southerly 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east, then becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, with occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first in north and later elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, but slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 to 6, then south 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, then rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, turning squally later, with occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest backing southeast later, 5 to 7, but decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 to 6, then south 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, turning squally later, with occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast later, 5 to 7, but decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 2 to 4, imminently increasing southwest 4 or 5, backing south 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 5 or 6 occasionally 7 at first, backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwesterly then southerly later, 3 to 5, but increasing 5 to 7 later except in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in south, backing southeasterly 3 or 4 later, then increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- 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
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5, then backing southerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, then backing southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south, then east or southeast later, 3 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far northwest, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasional moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then southeast 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing westerly later, 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly, then cyclonic for a time later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in far south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south, but slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing westerly later, 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly, then cyclonic for a time later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, veering southeast 4 or 5, then southwest 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 28 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC until Monday 29 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Northeasterly flow will freshen on Sunday as low pressure pushes north over Shetland Waters from Sunday night into Monday morning.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in far northeast
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight close to shetland, occasionally rough in far north later
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later
- Visibility
- Mainly good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Monday 29 Apr until 1200 UTC on Monday 29 Apr
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 to 7 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally southwesterly 6 or 7 later in far south
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Rain
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest to south overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth, increasing moderate mid-channel later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, dying out by dusk.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, backing south to southeast 4 to 6 Tuesday morning.
- Sea state
- Occasionally moderate mid-channel, otherwise smooth to slight, with a low swell developing.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good.
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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