Coast and sea
General situation
Weak high pressure will lie across the United Kingdom at first, bringing generally light winds for most areas and largely fair weather. Fog patches are expected to develop across the east coast of great Britain on Tuesday, with showers across the south spreading northwards.
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
- East or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast backing east later, 1 to 3, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less, then north or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches and showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing, showers later, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming westerly or northwesterly, 2 to 4, backing southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in northeast.
- Weather
- Fog patches and showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing, showers later, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west or northwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west or southwest, then veering northwest for a time later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or northeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 1 to 3, veering northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing, showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing, showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing in southwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in southwest.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 20 May 2024 at 1800 UTC until Tuesday 21 May 2024 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure extending across the area from the north maintains an easterly or southeasterly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in far west
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches later in southwest
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later in southwest
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Tuesday 21 May until 1800 UTC on Tuesday 21 May
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches in southwest
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in southwest
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North to northeast 2 to 4, locally variable at times, backing westerly Tuesday afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight.
- Weather
- Risk of thundery showers near the french coast some mist or fog patches near french coasts Tuesday morning.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, occasionally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5 for a time overnight and later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, perhaps occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches near french coasts for a time overnight a risk of showers from morning.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, perhaps occasionally poor or very poor.
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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