Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

The brisk north to northeasterly breeze currently affecting the far southeast will gradually ease during Wednesday leaving the United Kingdom in a mostly slack airflow. However a strengthening southerly wind will develop across northern Scotland as an area of low pressure approaches from the Atlantic.

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)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South veering southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in Moray Firth, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Moray Firth and moderate or rough in far north, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, veering south 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth, then veering southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly 3 or 4 veering southeasterly 2 or 3, then southerly 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later in north.
Sea state
Moderate becoming slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, veering south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 4 or 5 veering east 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering south 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, veering northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers for a time.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in east, becoming variable 2 at times in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in far east.
Weather
Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast, veering southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming southeasterly 3 or 4 later in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4 in east but variable 3 or less in west.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in west.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming southeasterly 3 or 4 later in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable, but mainly southeasterly at first, 3 or less, occasionally 4 in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly veering southwesterly 3 or 4, but becoming variable 3 or less from Cardigan Bay southwards.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast veering south or southwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, then veering southerly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
Weather
Showers then fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less at first in northwest, otherwise southeasterly veering southerly 3 to 5, then veering southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate at first in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly veering southerly 3 to 5, but becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time to the north and east of Arran.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 3 to 5, veering southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly veering southerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly veering southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east and rough in west.
Weather
Fair, then rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first in south, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight until later except in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in east.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first in south, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first between Barra and Canna, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later between Barra and Canna.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Valid Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 1800 UTC

General situation

A slack pressure pattern at first. A trough then moves over Shetland Waters tonight with a strengthening southerly flow.

Forecast

Wind
West or southwest 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight just southeast of Shetland.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 06 May until 0600 UTC on Thursday 07 May

Wind
West or southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight just southeast of Shetland.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 at times, veering east to southeast overnight.
Sea state
Smooth, locally slight at times.
Weather
Showers, perhaps locally heavy, dying out for a time late afternoon and early evening, risk of mist near the French coast around dawn.
Visibility
Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 2 to 4, backing east to northeast by mid-afternoon, becoming variable cyclonic after midnight.
Sea state
Smooth, locally slight at times.
Weather
Showers, perhaps locally heavy at times, risk of mist near the French coast at first.
Visibility
Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.

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.

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