Coast and sea
General situation
A low over the channel will move north over England and then into the North Sea during Sunday. This will bring strong winds and rain for a time to the eastern coastal 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 affect the southwest on Monday.
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, becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming west 5 to 7, backing south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4 backing northwest 4 to 6, then southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming mainly moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth and rough later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5, then southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth and rough in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, backing northwest 5 or 6, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5 backing south 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight near shore.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5 becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then northwest 5 to 7, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5 backing south 5 or 6, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in far southeast, then southwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the wash and Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- 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 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly, 3 to 5, 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
- North 4 to 6 backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 to 5, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, backing west 3 to 5, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth 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
- North or northeast 4 or 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.
- 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
- Northeast backing northwest, 3 or 4, then 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
- Southwest 5 or 6, backing south 6 or 7, then southeast 5 or 6 later.
- 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
- Northeast backing northwest, 3 or 4, then southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 5 to 7, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4 soon backing northwest then southwest, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing south 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5 backing south 5 to 7, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers then 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
- Variable, mainly northeasterly, 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight later except in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first, then south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in sheltered southeast and moderate in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4 backing southeast 4 to 6, veering south 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered southeast.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5 for a time in north.
- 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 northeasterly then cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly then cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5 backing northeast 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Sunday 28 Apr 2024 at 0000 UTC until Sunday 28 Apr 2024 at 1200 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
- Southeast backing northeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight close to shetland
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Sunday 28 Apr until 0000 UTC on Monday 29 Apr
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in northeast
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later
- Visibility
- Mainly good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 to 6, locally 7 for a time, backing northwest overnight decreasing 4 to 5 around dawn, backing further west 3 to 4 by midday and then southwest by evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell in the south and east, increasing moderate to locally rather rough overnight, then decreasing slight to smooth with a low swell by dusk.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, locally heavy with a risk of thunder, clearing during the morning, then scattered showers fair by afternoon.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, locally poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 4, locally 5 across the north overnight until backing south to southeast 3 to 4 by midday, perhaps 5 mid-channel at times.
- Sea state
- Slight to smooth, with a low swell increasing moderate across the north and west by midday.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- 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.
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