Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
The weather will remain mostly settled across the south during Sunday night. Further north and west though conditions will be generally more changeable as Atlantic fronts move slowly eastwards across the United Kingdom.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 16 Aug 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Mon 17 Aug 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northeasterly 2 to 4, veering easterly 3 or 4 later, increasing 5 later in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first near northwestern Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5 veering southeasterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 or 3 later in Moray Firth and in northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then east or southeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 or 3 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in far north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4 veering southwest 3 or 4, then west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 or 4, veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 2 to 4 veering westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times, becoming southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northwest 2 to 4, backing west or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest for a time at first, 3 to 5, then occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in west but backing southwesterly at times in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate near the Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Occasional rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest, backing southwest for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Lyme Bay, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near Cornwall.
- Weather
- Occasional rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4 veering west or northwest 3 or 4, then backing southwest again later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west or northwest for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or less at first in Liverpool Bay, otherwise southwest 2 to 4, then veering northwest for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 veering west or northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4 becoming variable mainly west 3 or less, then increasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches developing in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north and poor later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming westerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate or rough in far north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in North Channel, and later also elsewhere.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast becoming variable, then southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4 veering west 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northeasterly 2 to 4, then becoming variable 3 or less again later except in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, but becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then becoming west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in south and west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming northeasterly 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 or 3 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first between Barra and Canna, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, but becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly at first in far north, otherwise cyclonic becoming westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later except in far north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west and north, smooth or slight in east and south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 16 Aug 2026 at 1800 UTC until Monday 17 Aug 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure builds from the North over Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth just east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, then becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Monday 17 Aug until 1800 UTC on Monday 17 Aug
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or less for a time in the east.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth just east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 4, backing west by midday, locally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated light showers.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 4, soon increasing 4 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate.
- Weather
- Patchy light rain and a risk of mist patches by midday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate, perhaps 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.
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.