Coast and sea
General situation
A complex area of low pressure will move north across the United Kingdom over the next couple of days, bringing unsettled weather with outbreaks of rain or showers and some strong winds in places, with gales possible, mainly along channel coasts and fog patches along the east coast.
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
- Northwest veering north or northeast later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth until later in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then becoming west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north and east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly, veering southeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering west or southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast, then veering south or southeast later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering southwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast , then veering south or southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 to 5, veering southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in west, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west or southwest 4 to 6, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west and south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in Bristol Channel, otherwise northwest 6 to gale 8, backing west or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth at times in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later in west, backing southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering northeast, 4 to 6 , then becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except in far northeast, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming west or southwest 4 to 6, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering northeast, then backing west or northwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming mainly moderate at times.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5, backing south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, becoming mainly fair later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering northeast for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, backing west, 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, backing westerly, 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in northeast, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering northeast for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in sheltered east and rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight just north and northeast of skye, slight or moderate elsewhere.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth near skye.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 15 Apr 2025 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 16 Apr 2025 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Shallow, complex areas of low pressure will affect Shetland waters later on Tuesday and through Wednesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 16 Apr until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 16 Apr
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to southwest 7 to gale 8, locally severe gale 9 with gusts to 60kt, decreasing 5 to 6 after midnight, backing southerly 4 to 5 by midday and decreasing 2 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough to very rough by evening, decreasing moderate to rather rough by dawn, then slight with a low swell by midday.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, perhaps locally heavy at times with a risk of thunderstorms.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southwest 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 from midday Thursday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps heavy at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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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