Coast and sea
General situation
Strong winds and rain in the northwest will eventually clear northwest of Scotland on Monday, as a ridge of high pressure in the south builds northwards. High pressure will then dominate across all parts on Tuesday, albeit with a freshening easterly breeze later in the English Channel.
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
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches in northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming easterly for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming east 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in east, otherwise easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in Bristol Channel, otherwise easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast becoming variable, then east later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southeast 3 or less, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4 backing east or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- 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 southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in North Channel.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, backing southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in north, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in north.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in north, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West, backing south or southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 28 Apr 2025 at 0600 UTC until Monday 28 Apr 2025 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A weak front over Shetland Waters will move away southeast early on Monday before a ridge builds north over the area.
Forecast
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight just east of Shetland
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first, becoming fair
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor, becoming good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 28 Apr until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 29 Apr
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in southwest
- Sea state
- Moderate, but mainly slight east of Shetland
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain and fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5 for a time in the late afternoon and evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist patches near the French coast early this morning.
- Visibility
- Good locally moderate, perhaps briefly poor near the French coast at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5 for a time in the late afternoon and evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low and diminishing swell.
- Weather
- Fine.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally 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.
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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.