Coast and sea
General situation
A complex area of low pressure remains over the United Kingdom for the remainder of Sunday bringing light winds and showers, with a risk of fog at times. High pressure will then build from the west during Monday bringing drier and clearer conditions.
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
- Variable becoming northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate to the north and west of Orkney later.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming northerly or northeasterly for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming northerly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 for a time off shore.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming northerly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable, 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers then fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers then fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in west, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming north or northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, but smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, but smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly north, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches, becoming mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, very poor in fog patches.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest, 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming northwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time in North Channel, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest, 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest, 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 05 May 2024 at 1800 UTC until Monday 06 May 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Moist southeasterly airstream covers Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Fog patches. Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Monday 06 May until 1800 UTC on Monday 06 May
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Fog patches. Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to southeast 2 to 4, becoming south to southwest by midnight decreasing variable 1 to 3 at times becoming north to northwest 2 to 4 by midday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell by midnight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy or prolonged on Monday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest to north 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 for a time overnight decreasing north to northeast 1 to 3 by morning then backing west to northwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or smooth, with a low swell, but moderate for a time in the north and west during the morning.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, some heavy and prolonged with a risk of thunder, clearing by midnight, then becoming mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to 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.
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.