Coast and sea
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General situation
Low pressure moving southwards into the North Sea will maintain a fresh to strong, showery westerly or northwesterly airflow across most areas into the weekend. A ridge of high pressure will build into the English Channel keeping conditions more settled here.
Issued at:
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the periodto
Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map
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iInshore waters forecast explained
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough north and west of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest veering north later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough north and west of Orkney, smooth at times in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight, occasionally smooth inshore, moderate at times in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest veering northwest for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth inshore.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate off shore.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, moderate at times in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly backing westerly or southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest veering north later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North backing west or southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near of Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest backing southwest for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest veering northwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in north, occasionally rough for a time near foyle.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south and occasionally rough near foyle.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- 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
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north and south entrances.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest veering north later, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near south entrances.
- Weather
- Rain the showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest veering north later, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain the showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 08 Jun 2024 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 08 Jun 2024 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Low pressure will drift east from Shetland Waters into Scandinavia during Saturday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northwesterly 5 to 7 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Rain or showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 08 Jun until 0000 UTC on Sunday 09 Jun
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, but 3 or 4 at first in northeast
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Rain or showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 2 to 4, veering northerly 3 to 5 after dusk.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated light showers until midday.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, backing northwest to west 2 to 4 by midday, increasing 3 to 5 from late afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
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.
Inshore waters and strong winds map
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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