Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
On Thursday, a frontal band of rain and strong southwesterly winds will move steadily eastwards across the British Isles. The following strong and showery westerly flow will then steadily ease from the south on Friday, as a ridge of high pressure builds northeastwards for a time.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 10 Sep 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 11 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 4 or 5, backing southeast 5 to 7, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north, then veering southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first, and occasionally smooth later in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, backing south 4 to 6, then veering southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate offshore.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 3 or 4, then backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5, then veering southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate offshore.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming southwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in northeast, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, veering westerly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, backing southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 2 to 4, then veering northwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, backing southwest 4 or 5, then veering west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east, becoming moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later except in far west.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6, then veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east, becoming moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, veering northwest 2 to 4, then backing southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, then veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, veering northwest 3 or 4, then backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7, then veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest, backing southwest later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 to 7, then veering west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 3 or 4, then backing south or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 to 7, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
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, backing south 5 to 7, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, then veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing south 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough southwest of Skye.
- Weather
- Rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, backing southerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough southwest of Skye.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, backing southerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 5 to 7, then veering southwest 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 10 Sep 2026 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 10 Sep 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
An Atlantic low centred around Iceland will push the associated weather fronts east into Shetland waters on Thursday.
Forecast
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5 backing south 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 10 Sep until 0000 UTC on Friday 11 Sep
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7 veering southwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 2 to 3, locally 4, backing southwest 3 to 4 after dawn, locally variable 1 to 2 from midday, increasing 4 to 5 later, perhaps 6 mid-channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell, increasing moderate in the north and west in the afternoon.
- Weather
- Risk of patchy rain by midday Thursday.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, veering west to northwest 2 to 4 by dawn.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth or slight by midday, with a low swell throughout.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, mainly overnight, clearing by mid-morning.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor.
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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