Coast and sea
General situation
A low over southeast England will move north into the North Sea today, bringing strong winds and rain for a time to the eastern waters, with gales expected through the Strait of Dover. Elsewhere winds will be lighter with scattered showers, before a band of rain and strong southerly winds will affect the west tomorrow.
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
- Southeast 3 to 5 backing northeast 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north and later in east.
- Weather
- Showers then rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5 backing northwest 4 to 6, then southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth and rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth and rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers then rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, backing northwest 5 or 6, backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight at first in north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6 backing southeast 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North becoming cyclonic, then southwest later, 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, backing south 4 or 5 ,then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in far southeast, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 backing southeasterly 2 to 4.
- 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
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5 backing southerly 3 or 4, becoming variable 4 or less, then southeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6 backing southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south and later in southwest.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south, then southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or 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 west, 4 or 5, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in sheltered northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5 backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 5 to 7, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing northwest, 3 or 4, then south or southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest backing southeast, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 to 6, then south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7, backing southeast 4 or 5, then increasing 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast backing northwest 2 to 4, soon increasing southwest 4 or 5, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5 increasing 6 or 7, soon decreasing 5 or 6, backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, falling moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest later, then backing south, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 5 to 7 for a time, backing southeast 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in southeast.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 for a time, backing southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in North Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in sheltered east and moderate at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4 backing southeast, becoming cyclonic, 4 or 5, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4 backing northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast, then cyclonic, becoming southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4 backing northeast 3 to 5, 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 northeast, then cyclonic, becoming southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 3 or 4 backing northeast 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Sunday 28 Apr 2024 at 0600 UTC until Sunday 28 Apr 2024 at 1800 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 1800 UTC on Sunday 28 Apr until 0600 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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 5, locally 6 in the far northeast at first, backing west 2 to 4 by midday, perhaps occasionally 5 mid-channel at times, generally backing southwest to south 3 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell, decreasing smooth to slight by mid-afternoon.
- Weather
- Showers, locally heavy with a risk of thunder, becoming isolated by midday and dying out by dusk.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, increasing 4 to 6 around dawn Tuesday.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell developing, perhaps occasionally moderate mid-channel.
- 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.
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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.