Coast and sea
General situation
The British Isles lies in a mainly westerly or southwesterly airflow with generally light to moderate breezes. Showers will affect many areas away from the south coast today, whilst high pressure building in from the southwest will bring settled conditions for all parts on Sunday.
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
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in northwest, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, becoming variable, then becoming westerly later in south, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly at first in south, otherwise variable, 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, then veering southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, backing south or southeast 3 to 5, then veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming mainly west later, 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly becoming variable, then becoming northwesterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly later, 2 to 4, increasing 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly becoming variable, 3 or less, then becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 or 3, backing west or southwest 3 to 5, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 5 for a time, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate west of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, then becoming east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first west of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first in north, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 3 or 4 for a time near St Davids Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers at first, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest 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
- West or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later near the Mull of Galloway.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, becoming southwest 2 or 3 then variable.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, only isolated showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming south or southeast 3.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but a risk of mist and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, falling poor or very poor in mist and fog.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southerly or southwesterly at first in south, 2 or 3, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, then veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly becoming variable, 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable, then west or southwest later, 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight to the east of islay and jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 or 3, backing southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in south, then veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later to the east of islay and jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in north and south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering west or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight in sheltered east, otherwise moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 27 Jul 2024 at 0600 UTC until Saturday 27 Jul 2024 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A low near Iceland will maintain an unstable southwesterly flow across Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate but slight to east of shetland
- Weather
- Isolated Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Saturday 27 Jul until 0600 UTC on Sunday 28 Jul
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in northwest
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate but slight to east of shetland
- Weather
- Isolated showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 2 to 3, occasionally 4 for a time until dusk, becoming variable 1 to 2 after midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming east to northeast 3 to 4 Sunday afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- 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.
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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