Coast and sea
General situation
A high will build over the British Isles today. The winds will be light and any rain and fog will clear from the east, but further fog will develop over the Irish Sea tomorrow, with rain and strong winds affecting the northern waters later.
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
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 4 or less, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Moray Firth and rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5 at first in north, otherwise variable becoming southerly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in north, veering southwesterly 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast veering southeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first in south.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 3 to 5, veering southwest 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in southeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly veering southerly or southeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in northeast, becoming variable for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southeast, 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing northwest, 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far southwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches later in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south veering southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, soon becoming variable 3 or less, settling south or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, soon veering southwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 2 to 4 veering southwesterly 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, increasing 6, veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, increasing 6, veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 07 May 2024 at 0600 UTC until Tuesday 07 May 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure will build across Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at first. Otherwise fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor in east at first. Otherwise good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Tuesday 07 May until 0600 UTC on Wednesday 08 May
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 4 or 5 later
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 by midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mist and a risk of fog patches, mainly France until mid-morning and returning more widely by evening.
- Visibility
- Good to moderate, locally poor to very poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming easterly 2 to 4 by midday.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Mist and a risk of fog patches until midday and reforming again overnight.
- Visibility
- Good to moderate, locally poor to very poor at times.
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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