Coast and sea
General situation
The high pressure will remain over the southeast of England during the next couple of days, as a band of rain and strong southwesterly winds will affect the northern waters for a time. Elsewhere it will be settled weather with light winds, but fog patches will develop later tonight and into tomorrow in many places.
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, veering southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in southeast, moderate in northwest, occasionally rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, fog patches later in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, then very poor later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in southeast, but slight or moderate in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less becoming south 3 to 5, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast, 2 to 4, becoming variable 2 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming smooth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering southwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 2 or 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight, becoming smooth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeasterly, veering southerly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeasterly 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first in north.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly easterly, 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Fog patches in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast becoming variable, 2 or 3, becoming east 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, backing northeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly east or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 4 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 4 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming southeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, backing south or southeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering southwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in far north.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 1 to 3, backing southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, veering southwesterly 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 1 to 3, backing southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in southeast, becoming rough for a time in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near northern and southern entrances.
- Weather
- Fair then rain or drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south or southeast, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth north of skye.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then rain or drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south or southeast, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west and slight later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor, occasionally very poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 08 May 2024 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 08 May 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Atlantic fronts will approach Shetland Waters from the southwest in the afternoon and evening.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4 increasing 5 or 6
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west
- Weather
- Fair, rain later
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate occasionally poor later
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 08 May until 0600 UTC on Thursday 09 May
- Wind
- South veering southwest 5 or 6, then veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight east of shetland at first
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle. Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming north to northeast 2 to 4 by afternoon and east to northeast by evening.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth.
- Weather
- Mist or fog patches clearing by afternoon but reforming by late evening.
- Visibility
- Good, locally poor or very poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches, clearing by Thursday afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or 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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