Coast and sea
General situation
A southerly or southeasterly flow with occasional rain or showers will continue to affect the United Kingdom. A developing low in the Southwest Approaches will bring strong winds and gales at times to southwestern waters during Tuesday, extending further north by Wednesday.
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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later except in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, elsewhere moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches later in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later in far northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in Moray Firth, otherwise moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later except in Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 or 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor at first, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later, then 7 or gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor at first in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in west, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3 at first in east, otherwise cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later in far southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8 at first in east, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but rough or very rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Bristol Channel, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches at first in the severn estuary.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor at first in the severn estuary, becoming good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west, but occasionally very rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later, then backing east or southeast 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in northeast, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6, backing east 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, veering south 3 or 4 for a time, becoming southeast 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 or 7, occasional gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough, then mostly moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time, then increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in far north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate or rough in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but rough or very rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but rough or very rough in far west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight just north and east of skye, but elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast backing east or southeast, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight just north and east of skye, but elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough or very rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast backing east or southeast, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Monday 19 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC until Tuesday 20 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Low complex to the west and northwest of the UK maintaining the southerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in far east
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate or poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Tuesday 20 Jan until 1200 UTC on Tuesday 20 Jan
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 3 locally 4, increasing 3 to 4 locally 5 by dusk, then strong f6 to 7 by mid-morning, perhaps occasionally gale 8 in the far northwest of the area later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate with a moderate swell overnight, further increasing moderate to rough later.
- Weather
- Rain, drizzle, mist and a risk of fog patches, clearing eastward around dusk isolated showers overnight, mainly in the northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, locally poor or perhaps very poor, becoming generally good this evening.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 6 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in the north of the area, decreasing 4 to 6 for a time overnight.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rough.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle from late afternoon, locally heavy, clearing for a time around midnight.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, locally 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.
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.