Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A ridge of high pressure extending from the southwest across the British Isles maintains light to moderate breezes over the coastal waters, although drizzle and fog patches will affect some western and northern areas.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Wed 8 Jul 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Thu 9 Jul 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first in north, fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly variable 2 to 4, but occasionally southwesterly 5 at first to the west and north of Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle in north, fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 in Firth of Forth, but elsewhere variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 at first in Firth of Forth, otherwise variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 4 for a time at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 near northern Norfolk, decreasing 2 at times elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4 for a time at first from Beachy Head eastwards.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight from Lizard Point eastwards but slight throughout further west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in north, but becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 for a time at first in Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north 2 to 4 except in Cardigan Bay.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4 at first in northeast and in Morecambe Bay, otherwise variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4 in north, and later also in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
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.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less in south but southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight to the east of Islay and Jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 at first in north, otherwise variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight to the east of Islay and Jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in south, increasing 6 at times later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, then decreasing 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first in south, increasing 6 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate to the west of the Outer Hebrides but slight or moderate further east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, then decreasing 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate to the west of the Outer Hebrides but slight or moderate further east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 08 Jul 2026 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 09 Jul 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A moist westerly or southwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast, and smooth in sheltered waters just east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 09 Jul until 1200 UTC on Thursday 09 Jul
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast, and smooth in sheltered waters just east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to very poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or variable 1 to 3, locally northwest 4 in the south of the area this afternoon and evening, generally veering northeast 2 to 4 by dawn tomorrow.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast or variable 2 to 4, backing north by mid-afternoon, veering northeast again by midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
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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