Coast and sea
General situation
Areas of low pressure gradually moving in from the northwest and southwest, bringing more unsettled conditions with rain or showers to most of the inshore waters. Winds will be light or moderate Wednesday across all areas, but strengthening through Thursday.
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 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6, veering west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest becoming variable, 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southwest, 2 to 4, backing south or southeast 4 or 5, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, backing south 4 to 6, veering west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing south 5 or 6, then veering west or southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly becoming variable, 3 or less, then westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, becoming variable, then northwesterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, backing southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair then showers, then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing north, then west or northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, backing south or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast backing north, then west later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west or southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 6 to gale 8, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, then west 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southwest later, 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6, then veering west 5 to 7 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor for a time later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, backing south or southwest 4 to 6, veering west 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, backing southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 to 7, veering westerly for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7, veering west 6 to gale 8 later, then backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in central areas.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near southern entrance.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming mainly east or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 22 Jan 2025 at 0000 UTC until Wednesday 22 Jan 2025 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Complex, slow moving low pressure system over Shetland Waters on Wednesday
Forecast
- Wind
- Cyclonic 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Wednesday 22 Jan until 0000 UTC on Thursday 23 Jan
- Wind
- Mainly east or southeast 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 by dawn, but northeast 4 in the far north of the area, then north 4 across the whole area by dusk, before backing northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth locally slight, becoming generally slight in the evening.
- Weather
- Patchy rain and drizzle, mainly light, becoming more widespread in the afternoon, clearing to isolated showers in the evening risk of fog patches near french coasts.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, locally poor, perhaps occasionally very poor near french coasts.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest to west 3 to 4, backing west southwest 5 to 6 by dawn, then southwest to south 6 to gale 8 by midday, veering west 5 to 7 dusk, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, increasing moderate to rough by midday.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, then widespread rain for a time in the afternoon, perhaps locally heavy.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate, becoming moderate to poor for a time in the afternoon.
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.