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 Friday 18 May 2012 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 19 May 2012 at 1800 UTC
General Situation at 1800 UTC on Fri 18 May 2012
An area of high pressure will become established across the far north while a complex area of low pressure and associated fronts continue to affect all other parts.
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney
24 hour forecast: East or northeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain or showers at first mainly in south, otherwise fair. Good.
Outlook: Northeasterly, veering easterly or southeasterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in far north. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in south for a time. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, becoming mainly fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook: Northeast 4 or 5 decreasing 3 or 4. Slight, occasional moderate at first. Fair. Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeast backing north 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain, fair later. Moderate or good.
Outlook: North or northeast 5 decreasing 3 or 4. Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate. Fair. Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeasterly becoming cyclonic, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north at first. Moderate, occasionally rough in north. Rain or showers. Moderate or good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Outlook: Cyclonic or northwesterly veering northeasterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first. Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate. Occasional rain. Moderate or poor, occasionally good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic becoming mainly southwesterly for a time, 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain or showers. Good in north at first otherwise moderate or poor.
Outlook: Variable 2 or 3, occasionally 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain or showers, fog patches. Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill
24 hour forecast: South or southwest, becoming variable later, 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 for a time. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain at first. Moderate, occasionally poor.
Outlook: Variable 2 or 3, occasionally 4 becoming northeasterly 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Slight, occasionally moderate later. Fair then rain or showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis
24 hour forecast: East or southeast veering south or southwest, 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 for a time. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain at first. Moderate or poor, becoming good for a time.
Outlook: Variable 2 or 3, occasionally 4, becoming northeasterly 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Slight. Fair, then rain or showers in east. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly
24 hour forecast: Variable becoming mainly southerly or southwesterly, 2 or 3, occasionally 4. Slight or moderate. Showers. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Variable 2 or 3, occasionally 4, becoming north or northeast 4 or 5. Slight. Showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeasterly 5 or 6 near St Davids Head until later, otherwise variable 2 or 3, occasionally 4. Slight, occasionally moderate in west at first. Occasional rain or showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook: Variable 3 or less becoming northeast 3 or 4. Slight, occasionally moderate in far west. Showers. Moderate or good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head including St Georges Channel - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 4 near shore. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain or showers, fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook: Northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first. Slight, occasionally moderate in north and west at first. Showers, becoming fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time, decreasing 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fair later. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5. Slight, occasionally moderate at first. Showers then fair. Good.
Isle of Man - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: East or northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fair later. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook: Northeast 3 or 4. Mostly slight. Fair. Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeast 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fair later. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5. Slight, occasionally moderate at first. Rain then fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeast 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fair later. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5. Slight, occasionally moderate at first. Showers then fair. Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in south, becoming variable 3 or less later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fair later. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4. Slight. Fair. Good.
The Minch - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later except near Cape Wrath. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain then fair. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west later. Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in far north later. Fair. Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath - Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later except near Cape Wrath. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain then fair. Moderate or good.
Outlook: Variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west later. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good.
Channel Islands
24 hour forecast: Southwest 3 to 4 occasionally 5 at first, backing south overnight, decreasing 1 to 3 around dawn, becoming variable later in the morning. Slight, locally moderate at first. Occasional rain from midday. Moderate to good, occasionally poor in rain.
Outlook: Variable 1 to 3 soon becoming north, increasing 3 to 4 by evening then 4 to 5 on Sunday. Smooth or slight becoming slight to moderate. Rain at times. Moderate to good, occasionally poor in rain.
Shipping forecast
The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, on Friday 18 May 2012 at 1625 UTC
There are no warnings of gales currently in force.
The General synopsis at midday
Low Plymouth 1002 expected Sole 1006 by midday tomorrow. New low expected Humber 1009 by same time. New high expected Fair Isle 1019 by that time
The area forecasts for the next 24 hours
Southeast Viking, North Utsire
Northerly 4 increasing 5 or 6. Moderate. Showers. Good
South Utsire
Northerly 4 or 5. Moderate. Showers. Good
Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Northwest Dogger
Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good
Southeast Dogger
Northeasterly 5 or 6, becoming variable 4. Moderate or rough. Rain. Moderate or good
Fisher, North German Bight
Northeasterly 5 or 6, becoming variable 4. Slight or moderate. Rain. Moderate or good
South German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover
Cyclonic 4 or 5. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fog patches. Moderate, occasionally very poor
Wight, Portland, Plymouth, North Biscay
Southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 4. Slight or moderate. Rain or showers. Moderate or poor
South Biscay
Variable 4, becoming northerly 5 to 7 in east later. Slight or moderate. Thundery showers. Moderate or good
Trafalgar (Issued 2315 UTC Thu 17 May)
Cyclonic mainly northwest 4 or 5, becoming west or northwest 5 to 7. Moderate, occasionally rough in west. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor
West FitzRoy
Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5 increasing 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Showers. Good
East Sole, Lundy, Fastnet
Cyclonic becoming mainly northeasterly, 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4. Slight or moderate. Rain or showers. Moderate or good
Irish Sea, Shannon
Northeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 except south Shannon. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good
Rockall, Malin
Northeasterly 5 to 7 becoming variable 4, then southwesterly 5 or 6 in northwest Rockall later. Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate. Showers. Good
Hebrides
Northeasterly 5 or 6 in south at first otherwise variable becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 in far northwest later. Slight or moderate. Showers. Good
Bailey
Variable 4 becoming southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Moderate or rough. Fair then rain. Moderate or good
Fair Isle, East Faeroes
Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable then southerly or southeasterly, 3 or 4. Slight or moderate. Showers. Good
West Faeroes, South-east Iceland
Variable 4 becoming southeasterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good