Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A fairly slack and humid flow will affect much of the British Isles, with a continued risk of thunderstorms. A strong southerly flow will then affect northern and western waters later today and on Saturday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 26 Jun 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sat 27 Jun 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5, then veering southeast later, occasionally 6 later near Cape Wrath.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery for a time, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, but occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 near Cape Wrath and Rattray Head, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5, then veering south later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, but occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later in south.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, then fog patches, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, backing southeast 3 to 5, then veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery for a time, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming easterly 3 to 5, then veering southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 4 or 5, then variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate, becoming smooth later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming smooth later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 near Isles of Scilly, veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, backing southerly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming southwest 4 to 6, then backing south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Liverpool Bay.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in far southeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near Tiree, becoming southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, veering south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery for a time later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth near Skye.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast, veering south later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery for a time later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering north 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, veering east 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, but fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 26 Jun 2026 at 0600 UTC until Friday 26 Jun 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure builds from the west on Friday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5 veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate but slight in east
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain at first in south
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor in south at first
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 26 Jun until 0600 UTC on Saturday 27 Jun
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, veering east 4 to 6 later
- Sea state
- Moderate but slight in east
- Weather
- Fair, showers later
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 5, becoming variable 1 to 3 by midday, occasionally northerly 3 to 4 in the south of the area.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches at first a risk of thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist and fog especially in the north of the area at first risk of thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at first.
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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