Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A strong and showery southwesterly flow will continue to affect northern waters over the next couple of days. Further south, the passage of a cold front today, will be followed by a ridge of high pressure on Saturday, thus keeping winds lighter here.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 25 Sep 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sat 26 Sep 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 near Cape Wrath and Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough or very rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later near Cape Wrath and Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in northwest.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then west later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West backing south 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly becoming variable 2 to 4, then northwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeasterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 2 to 4, then veering northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming west or southwest 3 to 5, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 1 to 3, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 4 or 5, then variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate or rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming south 2 to 4, then backing southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southwest 2 to 4, backing southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 near Anglesey, backing south 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- 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
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in east, rough or very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, backing south 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 25 Sep 2026 at 0600 UTC until Friday 25 Sep 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Deep Atlantic low to the northwest holding a brisk southwesterly flow across your area of operation
Forecast
- Wind
- South 5 to 7, veering southwest 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 25 Sep until 0600 UTC on Saturday 26 Sep
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Showers with risk thunderstorms later
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate and later poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 by dusk, veering northwest to north 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches around dawn, mainly near french coasts.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally poor or very poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 3 to 4, veering north to northeast 2 to 3 by midday, veering east to southeast by midnight, increasing 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good or very 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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.