Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A strong and showery northerly flow will affect most parts for the rest of today. High pressure will then bring lighter winds and settled weather across northern and western waters over the weekend, but with a strong and showery northeasterly flow persisting in the southeast.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 16 Oct 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 17 Oct 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, backing westerly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 or 5, backing southwesterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first in east, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east, veering northerly later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first in east, showers later in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in east.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest, veering north later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth later near shore.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth near shore.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north, then veering northeast later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near Isles of Scilly, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered bays.
- Weather
- Showers at first in far west.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north 4 or 5, then veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in far southwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north 4 or 5, then veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast, veering east for a time, 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
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel, veering easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel, veering easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north 2 to 4, then backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later near skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near skye.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, veering north 2 to 4, then backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 16 Oct 2026 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 17 Oct 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure will extend northeast towards Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but slight or moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 17 Oct until 1200 UTC on Saturday 17 Oct
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Rough but slight or moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest to north 4 to 5, locally 6 at first, veering north to northeast by midnight.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Any rain or drizzle in the far southeast clearing by mid-afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6 from Saturday evening.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell.
- Weather
- Showers from late evening, perhaps heavier at times on Sunday.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate, perhaps poor at times.
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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