Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

The southwesterly airflow currently affecting most of the United Kingdom will veer westerly or northwesterly as an area of low pressure moves eastwards to the north of Scotland. There will be gales in the north and rain or showers in most areas.

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
Southwest, veering west or northwest for a time, 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Rough or very rough to the west and north of Orkney, elsewhere mainly slight or moderate, but occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
Weather
Squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, veering west or northwest, 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough to the west and north of Orkney, elsewhere mainly slight or moderate, but occasionally smooth at first in Moray Firth.
Weather
Rain or showers, squally for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 increasing 5 to 7, then veering westerly or northwesterly later, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight , occasionally moderate at first near Rattray Head, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
Weather
Mainly fair then rain, then showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West, backing southwest later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate offshore.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest, veering west, then veering northwest later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 4 to 6, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first in south.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first in south.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest, veering northwest later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5 veering northwesterly 4 or 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate for a time near northeast Norfolk.
Weather
Rain for a time at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 3 to 5, but southwesterly at first in east, backing southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
Weather
Rain for a time at first in east.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Drizzle and fog patches for a time.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to very poor for a time.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or southwest 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Drizzle and fog patches for a time later.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to very poor later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest, backing southwest later, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west, becoming smooth or slight in lyme bay.
Weather
Drizzle and fog patches for a time.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to very poor for a time.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest, veering northwest later, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally slight in east.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in inner Bristol Channel.
Weather
Drizzle and fog patches for a time at first.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to very poor for a time.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
Weather
Rain, drizzle and fog patches for a time at first.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to very poor for a time.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West veering northwest, then backing west later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering west or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain for a time at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5, backing southwest 6 or 7 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight for a time.
Weather
South at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 6 or 7, veering west 5 or 6, veering northwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight later.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, becoming fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasional poor becoming good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough in far north, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Squally showers at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly, veering westerly or northwesterly, 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far north and slight in east and south.
Weather
Rain for a time at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

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, backing southerly or southwesterly later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later in North Channel.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Squally showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly, veering westerly or northwesterly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
Weather
Rain for a time at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest, backing southwest later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first and later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough in west, moderate or rough in east.
Weather
Squally showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, veering northwest, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
In west, rough or very rough, occasionally high, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing west or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but rough or very rough near entrances.
Weather
Squally showers, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, veering west or northwest for a time, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in south.
Weather
Rain or showers for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing west or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first to the west of the Outer Hebrides and in far north.
Weather
Squally showers, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, veering west or northwest for a time, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high to the west of the Outer Hebrides.
Weather
Rain or showers for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest veering west or northwest for a time, 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high in northwest.
Weather
Squally showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Friday 28 Mar 2025 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 29 Mar 2025 at 0000 UTC

General situation

An area of low pressure to the north of Shetland will move east or northeast with a transient ridge of high pressure building through Saturday.

Forecast

Wind
Southwest veering northwest 6 to gale 8
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in northwest, but moderate just east of shetland
Weather
Squally showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 29 Mar until 1200 UTC on Saturday 29 Mar

Wind
Northwest 6 to gale 8 backing west or southwest 3 to 5
Sea state
Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in northwest, but moderate just east of shetland
Weather
Wintry showers at first
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 5, increasing 5 to 6 by evening, perhaps briefly gusting 35kt, decreasing 3 to 4 overnight, backing west 2 to 3 later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough for a time today, locally decreasing smooth by midday tomorrow.
Weather
Rain and drizzle in the far southeast, clearing early afternoon isolated showers, dying out by dawn.
Visibility
Good to very good, locally moderate or poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly 2 to 3, backing southwest to south 4 to 5 by late evening, veering west to northwest by dawn, decreasing 3 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate for a time.
Weather
Patchy rain or drizzle overnight.
Visibility
Good or very good, locally moderate or poor for a time.

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.

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