Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure centred over the north Atlantic will continue to bring a generally northerly flow and largely settled weather. However there will be strong winds at times along with low cloud and drizzle across some northern areas.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Mon 20 Jul 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Tue 21 Jul 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, but variable 2 to 4 at first in south, increasing 4 to 6 later except in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north and later in southeast, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, elsewhere mainly slight or moderate, but occasionally rough near northwestern Orkney.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later in northwest.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor, becoming moderate occasionally very poor later in northwest.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Mainly northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 near Rattray Head, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in far north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 until later in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, backing northwest for a time later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at first in northeast, and occasionally smooth in the wash and later in far south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in northeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, in east, but variable 2 to 4 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later in far east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in far east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4 at first in east, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 in far west.
- Sea state
- Smooth in east, slight in west, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in east, northerly 3 to 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth in east, slight in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in east, northerly 3 to 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth in east, slight in west, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 in east, northerly 3 to 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth in east, slight in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in Cardigan Bay.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally slight or moderate for a time in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in Cardigan Bay and moderate in far west and far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time at first in Solway Firth then later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Galloway.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time in north, becoming variable 2 to 4 later except in northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, perhaps 6 in the west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate .
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate .
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in the North Channel, becoming variable 2 to 4 in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate, but smooth or slight in far south.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in far south, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, but 4 to 6 in the North Channel,.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate, but smooth or slight in far south.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north.
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, in the North Channel, variable 2 to 4 elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate in North Channel, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in the North Channel.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel and smooth elsewhere.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in the North Channel.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west and south, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west and south, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3 at first northeast of skye, otherwise northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 later in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later in far north.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor, moderate occasionally very poor later in far north.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight, but moderate in north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later in far north.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor, moderate occasionally very poor later in far north.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming west or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth at first in sheltered east, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 20 Jul 2026 at 1200 UTC until Tuesday 21 Jul 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
An area of high pressure will persist to the west of Scotland with a west or northwesterly flow across Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest backing west 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth east of shetland
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Tuesday 21 Jul until 1200 UTC on Tuesday 21 Jul
- Wind
- West veering northwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 later in west
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth east of shetland at first
- Weather
- Occasional showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5 for a time this afternoon and evening, occasionally variable 1 to 3 mid-channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight at times.
- Weather
- Fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 2 to 4, locally 5 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight at times.
- Weather
- Chance of some mist patches, mainly in the far west.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps occasionally poor in the far west.
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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