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, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- 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
- South or southeast 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6, then veering southwest for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, backing south 4 to 6, then veering southwest for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 2 to 4, then backing west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, backing south 4 to 6, then veering west 5 to 7, backing south or southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing south 5 or 6, then veering west or southwest for a time, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, 3 or less, becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times 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 4 or 5, backing southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, backing westerly 3 to 5 later.
- 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 southwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8, then backing southerly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast backing north or northwest, then west or southwest later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8, then backing south 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing northwest, 2 to 4, then west or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time at first, then increasing gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, then very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 2 to 4, then backing southwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time at first, then increasing gale 8 to storm 10 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, then very rough or high later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair 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, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 6 to gale 8, backing south or southwest gale 8 or severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair 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, becoming south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, backing south 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough,.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Quadrant or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, backing south or southeast 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, then rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or southwest 2 to 4, backing south 4 or 5 later.
- 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
- South 4 or 5, veering west or southwest 6 to gale 8, then backing south or southeast 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair 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, becoming southerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7, then veering westerly, backing southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering west 6 to gale 8, then backing east or southeast 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south later, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- 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 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, then veering west or southwest, backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near southern entrance.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south later, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, then veering west or southwest, backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- 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 0600 UTC until Wednesday 22 Jan 2025 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Complex, slow moving low pressure system over Shetland Waters on Wednesday
Forecast
- Wind
- In northwest: east or northeast 2 to 4. in southeast: variable 3 or less
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 22 Jan until 0600 UTC on Thursday 23 Jan
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, gradually becoming northerly 3 to 5 during the afternoon, backing northwest 3 to 4 by midnight and west to southwest 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle, with mist or fog patches mainly near the french coast at first, clearing to isolated showers by evening.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, locally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 4 to 6, backing south to southwest 6 to gale 8 by midday, perhaps locally severe gale 9 mid-channel, veering westerly 5 to 7 in the afternoon, backing southerly 4 to 6 by midnight, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, increasing moderate to rather rough by midday and rather rough to rough by dusk, decreasing slight to moderate with a low swell in the south overnight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, becoming persistent and locally heavy for a time around midday rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to 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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