Weather Charts & Forecast
Inshore Waters Forecast
The inshore waters forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore from Wednesday 22 February 2012 at 1800 UTC until Thursday 23 February 2012 at 1800 UTC
General Situation at 1800 UTC on Wed 22 Feb 2012
Depression over the Norwegian Sea will move rapidly eastwards over Scandinavia while a ridge of high pressure persists over southern biscay. New depression tracks east between Iceland and Shetland during Thursday afternoon.
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West or southwest 5 or 6, backing south or southeast 3 or 4 for a time, later increasing 6 or 7 , occasionally gale 8 in north. Slight in Moray Firth, otherwise moderate, but rough becoming very rough in northwest. Rain soon. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook: West or southwest gale 8 or severe gale 9, but 6 or 7 at first in south, perhaps storm 10 later in northwest. Moderate or rough, but very rough or high in north perhaps very high later near Cape Wrath. Occasional rain or showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northwest 5 in far north at first, otherwise west or southwest 5 or 6, backing south or southeast 4 for a time. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain soon. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Southwest veering west 5 to 7, decreasing 4 for a time, perhaps increasing gale 8 later. Slight or moderate, becoming rough in far north. Rain at first. Moderate or good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West or southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 for a time. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Mainly good.
Outlook: West or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later. Slight or moderate. Rain for a time. Good occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West or southwest 6 or 7 decreasing 4 or 5. Moderate becoming slight. Occasional rain at first. Moderate or good.
Outlook: West or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later. Slight or moderate. Rain for a time. Mainly good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 later. Moderate becoming slight. Occasional rain at first, fog patches in south for a time. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south.
Outlook: West or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 for a time in north. Slight. Occasional rain later, fog patches in south. Good or moderate, occasionally poor or very poor in south.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West or southwest 6 or 7 decreasing 4 or 5. Moderate becoming slight later. Rain or drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or poor , occasionally very poor.
Outlook: West or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in east. Slight. Occasional drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 to 7 veering west4 or 5. Moderate, occasionally slight later. Rain, fog patches. Good or moderate, occasionally very poor.
Outlook: West or southwest 4 or 5. Slight or moderate. Occasional drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest veering west 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later. Moderate or rough. Rain or drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Outlook: West or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 for a time, veering northwest 5 later. Moderate or rough. Occasional drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later. Moderate or rough. Rain or drizzle, fog patches. Moderate, occasionally poor or very poor.
Outlook: West or southwest veering northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 in south. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head including St Georges Channel - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 for a time. Moderate, occasionally rough at first. Occasional drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook: Southwest 5 or 6, increasing 7 for a time, veering northwest 4 or 5 later. Moderate, occasionally slight in north later. Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 for a time. Moderate, occasionally rough at first. Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Outlook: Southwest veering northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in north. Slight or moderate. Rain and fog patches for a time, showers later. Moderate, occasionally poor or very poor becoming good later.
Isle of Man - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 4 or 5 occasionally 6. Mainly moderate. Occasional rain. Moderate or good occasionally poor in rain.
Outlook: Southwest 4 or 5 veering west to northwest later. Mainly moderate. Mainly fair. Moderate or good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 for a time, increasing 7 later in northwest. Moderate or rough, slight for a time in south. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook: West or southwest veering northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in northwest. Moderate but rough, soon very rough in the north. Occasional rain, showers later. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Westerly backing southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 for a time. Slight in shelter, otherwise moderate, occasionally rough at first. Rain or drizzle, fog patches at first. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook: Southwest 4 or 5 veering west or northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Slight in shelter, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming very rough near Mull of Kintyre. Occasional rain or drizzle, showers later. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West backing southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later in north. Slight or moderate in shelter, otherwise rough, becoming very rough near Ardnamurchan Point. Rain, fog patches at first. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook: Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north, veering west or northwest 7 to severe gale 9. Slight or moderate in shelter, otherwise rough or very rough, later high near Ardnamurchan Point. Occasional rain, soon showers. Moderate or good.
The Minch - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: West backing south or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later. Slight or moderate, but rough or very rough in far north and far south. Rain soon. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook: Southwesterly veering westerly 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 later in north. Moderate or rough, but very rough or high in far north and south. Rain, soon showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Westerly backing southwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later in far north. Rough becoming very rough or high. Rain, showers later. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook: Southwesterly veering westerly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later, perhaps storm 10 later in far north. Very rough or high, occasionally very high later in far north. Showers. Moderate or good.
Channel Islands - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Southwest 4 or 5, locally 6 north of guernsey, veering west by dawn tomorrow, decreasing 3 or 4 by midday. Moderate to rather rough, becoming slight to moderate. Rain or drizzle with coastal fog becoming extensive tomorrow. Good becoming moderate to very poor.
Outlook: West to southwest 3 or 4. Slight to moderate with a swell. Occasional rain or drizzle with coastal fog. Moderate locally poor or very poor.
Shipping forecast
The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, on Wednesday 22 February 2012 at 1725 UTC
There are warnings of gales in Forties, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Rockall, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland.
The General synopsis at midday
Low 900 miles west of Sole 972 expected 100 miles southwest of Iceland 968 by midday tomorrow.
The area forecasts for the next 24 hours
Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire
Westerly backing southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later except in South Utsire. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor later
Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames
West or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first except in Cromarty, Forth and Tyne, perhaps increasing gale 8 later in Forties, Cromarty and Forth. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain, fog patches in Humber and Thames. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in Humber and Thames
Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth
West or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 or gale 8 at first in Dover. Moderate, occasionally rough in Plymouth. Occasional rain, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor
Biscay
Southwesterly 5 or 6 at first in north, otherwise variable 4. Slight or moderate, becoming rough in north. Rain at first in north. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in north
Trafalgar (Issued 0015 UTC Wed 22 Feb)
Variable 3 or 4, but northerly 4 or 5 in southeast. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good
North FitzRoy, Sole
Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in Sole. Rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea
Southwest 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain, fog patches. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor
Shannon, Rockall, Malin
Southwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 in Rockall and perhaps later in Shannon and Malin, perhaps severe gale 9 later in Rockall. Rough or very rough, becoming high in Rockall. Rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Hebrides, Bailey
West 5 to 7 backing southeast 5 or 6 then veering southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in Bailey and perhaps later in Hebrides. Rough becoming very rough or high. Rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland
Westerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in Faeroes and Southeast Iceland, becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. Rough or very rough. Showers then rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor