Coast and sea
General situation
Low will sink south across the North Sea and bring increasing northwesterly winds for the United Kingdom, especially across the east coast or Great Britain through the day. Low moves away to the Continent on Saturday as high drifts over the United Kingdom from the west bringing with it settled weather.
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
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east, but 3 or 4 in Moray Firth, decreasing 3 to 5 later in east and becoming variable 2 to 4 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later north of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5 at first in west, otherwise variable 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in far northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 for a time, increasing gale 8 near Rattray Head for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering north or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6 decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6 veering north or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Squally showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 veering northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, veering northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate occasionally rough near North Foreland later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5,.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 occasionally 6 at first in east, veering northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth of slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west until later, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, veering east or southeast, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in Bristol Channel, veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5 veering north later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in southeast, veering northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4 becoming variable 2 or 3, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, veering north 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly 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
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel, veering north 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5 occasionally 6 at first, backing west or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, veering north 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 19 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC until Friday 19 Apr 2024 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A complex low east of Shetland slides away southeast across the North Sea on Friday while high pressure builds to the west, giving an increasingly settled northerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in far east at first
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mostly fair later
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Friday 19 Apr until 0000 UTC on Saturday 20 Apr
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8 veering north 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5 veering north to northeast late Friday evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell, increasing slight, occasionally moderate overnight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, with a risk of patchy light rain from dawn until afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast to east 4 to 5, decreasing 2 to 3 across the north by dusk Saturday and 3 to 4 elsewhere later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good or very 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.
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.
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