Coast and sea
General situation
A complex low centred to the west of the United Kingdom will be slow moving through the next couple of days and brings rain and showery outbreaks through the period, as well as, strong winds for most coastal areas for today. The east coast of great Britain will also see fog patches at times.
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
- Southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming northeasterly 3 or 4 in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then fog patches, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly, backing easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then fog banks, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, with fog banks until later.
- Visibility
- Poor or very poor, becoming moderate or good later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, backing east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then fog banks, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers and fog banks, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Poor or very poor, becoming moderate or good later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, backing northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then fog patches, showers later, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first, with fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate offshore.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches later in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor, but occasionally very poor later in east.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later, then becoming north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly, then backing westerly or southwesterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, soon backing east 3 or 4, becoming north or northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in rain.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, soon veering northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north and later elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- 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
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 30 Apr 2024 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 01 May 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Low pressure to the west of the UK will maintain a mainly southeasterly airstream over Shetland and the surrounding waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 01 May until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 01 May
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south to southwest by midnight, then southeast or variable 1 to 3 by dawn, becoming north to northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle risk of mist patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 3 to 5, increasing 4 to 6 by midnight, backing west 5 to 6 by dawn.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight soon increasing slight to moderate, with a low swell, further increasing moderate to rather rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle risk of mist or fog patches, mainly in the northeast, later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate perhaps locally poor or 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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