Coast and sea
General situation
An increasingly complex, Atlantic low, crossing Scotland later on Tuesday, will transfer to the North Sea by Wednesday morning. Occasional strong winds will affect some waters, along with fog patches and a risk of thundery showers.
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)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, backing east or southeast, 2 to 4, increasing 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate for a time in east.
- Weather
- Showers with fog patches for a time, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast, becoming variable, 2 to 4, then becoming north later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South, backing southeast, 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming north, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain then showers, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South, backing southeast, 3 to 5, veering west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair then showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West, veering north or northwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering west or southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly, veering westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, veering southwesterly 5 or 6, increasing 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first, veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West, veering northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough for a time to the west of the Lizard Peninsula, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle then showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in Lyme Bay.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west, 5 or 6, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle then showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough for a time near St Davids Head, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle then showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, veering northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast, veering southwest, 3 to 5, then veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in far south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle then showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, veering northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast, veering southwest, 4 or 5, then veering west later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, veering northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast, veering southwest, then veering west later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle then showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, veering northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth for a time in south, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly, veering southwesterly, then veering westerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle then showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 3 to 5, veering northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in the Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast, veering west or southwest, 4 to 6, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in shelter, otherwise moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle then showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly, becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in south, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly, becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in south, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast, backing east later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 28 May 2024 at 0600 UTC until Tuesday 28 May 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A shallow low to the west of Scotland will maintain a gentle southeasterly flow over Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in northeast at first
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor or very poor until later.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Tuesday 28 May until 0600 UTC on Wednesday 29 May
- Wind
- Southeast backing east 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches at first, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor or very poor at first.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to southwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time, decreasing 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, with a low swell, increasing rather rough in the north and west for a time, perhaps locally rough mid-channel around dusk.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, drizzle, mist and a risk of fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate to poor, perhaps occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 3 to 4, occasionally 2 in the far south for a time, veering northwesterly 4 to 5 Wednesday evening.
- Sea state
- Locally moderate at first, otherwise slight, with a low swell throughout.
- Weather
- Rain, drizzle, mist and a risk of fog patches, mainly in the south of the area, clearing around dusk.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to poor, perhaps occasionally very 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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