Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

An area of high pressure centred in the North Sea, will bring a good deal of fine and settled weather over the next couple of days with relatively light winds. However some drizzle may affect the far northwest, and a few showers and fog patches may develop in the southwest by Friday morning. .

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
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast, then veering south later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate to west and north of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South becoming cyclonic, then northeast later, 3 to 5, veering east later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far north and later west of Orkney.
Weather
Fair, showers and fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor later.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 until later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time in north, and 3 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate for a time in north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 or 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in Thames estuary and in north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, veering southeasterly later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast, 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate offshore for a time.
Weather
Showers in west, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in east, otherwise easterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west elsewhere slight, occasionally smooth in lyme bay until later.
Weather
Showers later in west.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4, then mainly northwest later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first near Lands End and smooth in Bristol Channel.
Weather
Mainly fair, fog patches at first in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, then west or northwest, 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming southeasterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Drizzle or fog patches at first, then mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly becoming cyclonic, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, becoming westerly or southwesterly, 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor later.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly east or southeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast becoming cyclonic later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast, veering south or southeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 for a time in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north.
Weather
Fog patches at first, otherwise fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 2 to 4, veering southerly 4 or 5 later in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair, showers and fog patches later in south.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor later in south.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, but southeasterly 3 to 5 for a time in North Channel.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Fog patches at first in North Channel, otherwise fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor at first in North Channel.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming mainly southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in Firth of Clyde.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair, fog patches later in south.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor later in south.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly, but northeasterly for a time in north, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in west and smooth in sheltered east.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Drizzle at times until later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly then easterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Drizzle at times until later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly then easterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first and later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 2 to 4, then south or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate in north and west, slight in southeast, occasionally smooth close to east Shetland.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

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

Valid Thursday 19 Jun 2025 at 0600 UTC until Thursday 19 Jun 2025 at 1800 UTC

General situation

A ridge of high pressure moves east across Shetland and surrounding waters.

Forecast

Wind
West backing southwest 2 to 4
Sea state
Moderate, but slight east of shetland
Weather
Showers at first
Visibility
Mainly good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Thursday 19 Jun until 0600 UTC on Friday 20 Jun

Wind
Southwest backing south or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth just east of shetland
Weather
Fair
Visibility
Good

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East to northeast 3 to 4, occasionally 5 from mid-afternoon, veering east to southeast by midnight.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Risk of mist or fog patches at first.
Visibility
Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate to very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East to southeast 3 to 4, becoming locally variable 1 to 3 during the afternoon, perhaps locally 5 in the north of the area from mid-afternoon.
Sea state
Smooth to slight.
Weather
Risk of isolated showers in the west overnight and a chance of some mist patches later.
Visibility
Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate to poor later.

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

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