Coast and sea
General situation
A ridge of high pressure extending south across the United Kingdom will give predominantly fine weather with generally light or moderate breezes, but strengthening at times mainly across the far south and far north.
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 northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, veering easterly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north and later in east.
- Weather
- Showers in northeast.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly veering southeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later except in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing in Firth of Forth.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in Firth of Forth.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East veering south or southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Firth of Forth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast becoming variable, then northeast later, 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 or 3, veering south or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing near shore.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor near shore.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, veering southeast 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in the wash and in south.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing near shore.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor near shore.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first and smooth later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in far west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east 3 to 5 for a time in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel and moderate at first in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in far southwest.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east at first, 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in north and moderate near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 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
- East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time, occasionally 6 for a time in Liverpool Bay.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight occasionally moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight for a time in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south and east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south or southeast, then veering southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise northeasterly veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate west of the Outer Hebrides and later in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise easterly veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north, 4 to 6, veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 24 Apr 2026 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 25 Apr 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure covers Shetland Waters. This ridge briefly declines on Friday night as a weak trough sinks south over the area.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in southwest at first. occasionally rough in northeast.
- Weather
- Light showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 25 Apr until 1800 UTC on Saturday 25 Apr
- Wind
- Northerly 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Light showers at first.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 4 to 5, decreasing 2 to 4 by dawn.
- Sea state
- Locally moderate to rather rough at first in the northwest, otherwise smooth to slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast, 2 to 4, locally 5 in the north of the area after midday.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, locally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair or 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.
Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.
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