Coast and sea
General situation
A strong southwesterly flow will remain in place across the northwest of Scotland through the next 48 hours, as an area of high pressure moves steadily northwards into central England today. On Thursday, the high will move towards Scandinavia which will allow a strong easterly to develop through 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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north, backing southerly 4 or 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough or very rough to the north and west of Orkney.
- Weather
- Squally showers, mainly in north, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough or very rough to the north and west of Orkney.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later near the Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly, backing southeasterly later in south, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5 veering northwest 2 or 3, then becoming variable 1 or 2 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 or 2, becoming east or northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northerly, then veering northeasterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in south, and later in north.
- Weather
- Showers later in south.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly becoming variable, 2 or 3, then becoming northeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in Strait of Dover.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers in Strait of Dover.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly northwest, 2 or 3, becoming northeast 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 2 or 3, veering northeasterly 2 to 4, then veering easterly 4 or 5 later, occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough west of Lizard Point.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4, then east 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Lands End.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast backing east, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in far southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then east or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 occasionally 5 at first, backing south or southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 for a time, backing east later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate at times.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, backing south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly backing southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly backing southerly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly backing southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high later near the Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Squally showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high until later near the Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in eastern shelter, occasionally high later in west.
- Weather
- Squally showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 05 Feb 2025 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 06 Feb 2025 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Brisk southwest flow persisting
Forecast
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in sheltered waters east of shetland
- Weather
- Showers at first
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 06 Feb until 1200 UTC on Thursday 06 Feb
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west, but moderate in sheltered waters east of shetland
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming east to northeast 2 to 4 early evening, increasing 3 to 5 overnight, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell, increasing moderate mid-channel later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers mainly in the north of the area risk of mist or fog patches near the french coast for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 4 to 6, perhaps occasionally 7 in the north of the area.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell, increasing rather rough to rough in the north and west in the evening.
- Weather
- Isolated showers mainly in the north of the area, becoming scattered and perhaps wintry overnight.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
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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