Inshore waters and strong winds (2024)

Coast and sea

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General situation

An area of low pressure will become centred across the British Isles bringing a period of unsettled weather to the inshore waters over the next few days along with strong winds in places.

Issued at:00:01 (UTC) on Fri 14 Jun 2024

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period00:00 (UTC) on Fri 14 Jun 2024to00:00 (UTC) on Sat 15 Jun 2024

Select the inshore area

Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map

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Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time near Orkney, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 in south and also later in north.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in north and slight in south.
Weather: Rain, showers later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southeast 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally slight.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor, becoming good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southeast 5 or 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state: Moderate becoming mainly slight.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or poor, becoming good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time later.
Sea state: Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later in south.
Weather: Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest, backing south or southeast for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 6 or 7, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time later in north.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in far northwest and in Thames estuary.
Weather: Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times except in far north.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east, becoming moderate or rough near North Foreland.
Weather: Showers, thundery at times.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly 5 to 7, veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
Weather: Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Moderate or poor, becoming mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first, perhaps increasing gale 8 for a time in east.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather: Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Poor, becoming good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather: Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally slight in lyme bay and rough in west.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times.
Sea state: Slight or moderate in lyme bay, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near Isles of Scilly.
Weather: Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: West or southwest 4 to 6.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in Bristol Channel.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in Bristol Channel.
Weather: Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times mainly later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough in south and slight in north.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic, mainly southwest, 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
Weather: Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in southeast.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather: Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 for a time in south, then veering westerly later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south.
Weather: Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 3 or 4 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: South or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state: Slight.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Mainly good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: South or southwest, becoming cyclonic later, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming west 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly or southwesterly, backing southeasterly later, 3 to 5.
Sea state: Smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Southeasterly becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, then becoming westerly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state: Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Cyclonic becoming southwest, 4 to 6, backing east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in west.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: East or southeast backing north or northwest, 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or northeast becoming cyclonic, then mainly southeast later, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 at times later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth east of skye and rough in far southwest.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming north or northeast 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in central areas, becoming rough at times later in north.
Weather: Showers, rain later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly becoming cyclonic, then mainly southeasterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southwest.
Sea state: Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather: Rain then showers.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6 later.
Sea state: Moderate, occasionally rough at first in south and later in north.
Weather: Showers, rain later.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: East or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7.
Sea state: Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
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 Friday 14 Jun 2024 at 0000 UTC until Friday 14 Jun 2024 at 1200 UTC

General situation

A complex low lies over Scotland Friday, with associated fronts pushing north over Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind: East or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate, becoming rough later in southwest.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Friday 14 Jun until 0000 UTC on Saturday 15 Jun

Wind: East or southeast 5 to 7.
Sea state: Moderate or rough.
Weather: Rain or showers.
Visibility: Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind: Southerly 4 to 5, occasionally 6 with gusts to 35kt at first, increasing 5 to 6 after dusk Friday.
Sea state: Slight to moderate, with a low swell, occasionally rather rough to rough across the west from early evening.
Weather: Scattered showers, locally heavy at times.
Visibility: Good to very good, locally moderate to poor at times.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind: West to southwest 5 to 6, occasionally 7 for a time until mid-morning Saturday.
Sea state: Moderate to rather rough, locally rough across the north and west.
Weather: Scattered showers, locally heavy at times.
Visibility: Good to very good, locally moderate to poor at times.

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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