Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A weakening frontal system will continue to move steadily eastwards tonight, to be followed by a cool and showery westerly flow.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sat 16 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 17 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south 2 to 4, then backing southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at first, the showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, veering northwest 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery for a time, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later near Isles of Scilly.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 3 or 4, then backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in far west, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first, rain later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, veering northwest 4 or 5, then backing southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 2 to 4, then backing south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first, rain later in southwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 3 to 5, then backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 1 to 3, then southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first, and occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering northwest 3 or 4, then backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near Skye.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near Skye.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 1 to 3, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 16 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Sunday 17 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A complex and shallow area of low pressure will cover Shetland Waters over the weekend.
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northwest becoming cyclonic 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Moderate
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Sunday 17 May until 1800 UTC on Sunday 17 May
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in southeast
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in west
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, veering west to northwest by midnight, decreasing 3 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, merging into rain at times, perhaps locally heavy.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 5, occasionally 3, backing south to southwest 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight with a low swell developing, locally moderate in the north and west.
- Weather
- Isolated showers at first patchy rain spreading in from the northwest overnight.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.
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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