Coast and sea
General situation
A slow-moving area of low pressure centred close to the southwest of the British Isles will gradually fill, with mainly light or moderate winds over the weekend, but locally strong at times in the west. Further rain or showers are expected in places.
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
- East or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, veering southerly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate mainly in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, decreasing 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing easterly 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 or 3, increasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4, backing easterly or northeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, veering southerly later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4, backing east or northeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first near Isles of Scilly, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4, becoming southerly 3 to 5 later in west.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near Isles of Scilly, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near St Davids Head.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east and very rough at first near land's end.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near St Davids Head, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight east of Anglesey, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain in east.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first then increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, veering southerly later in north, 3 to 5, decreasing 2 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later to the southwest of skye, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the south and west of skye, smooth or slight elsewhere northeast of skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, veering southerly later in north, 3 to 5, decreasing 2 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in north and also later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in northeast and rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure to the east and complex low pressure to the west will maintain a freshening southeast air flow over Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, slight east of shetland at first
- Weather
- Isolated showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 17 Jan until 0000 UTC on Sunday 18 Jan
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 5, decreasing 3 to 4 by midday Saturday, backing southeast to east 2 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a moderate swell.
- Weather
- Mist and fog patches, mainly in the south of the area from Saturday morning rain and drizzle in the south of the area later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to poor, locally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 2 to 3, backing northeast 3 to 4 for a time overnight, becoming variable 1 to 2 by dusk Sunday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Patchy rain or drizzle, with mist or fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, locally poor or very 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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