Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A showery west to northwesterly flow will persist across northern waters through Saturday and into Sunday. To the south high pressure will remain in place, though will decline during Sunday as a new area of low pressure approaches from the southwest.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 1 Aug 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sun 2 Aug 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south, occasionally rough later near north Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 3 to 5 at first in north, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, occasionally rough at first near north Orkney, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Firth of Forth, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering east or northeast 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 or 3, veering southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or northwest 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first, becoming moderate at times in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northerly, then easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming north or northeast, then veering east or southeast later, 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5 at first in Bristol Channel, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly becoming variable, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southeast, 2 or 3, backing east or northeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or northeast, 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in North Channel, becoming easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight east of islay and jura.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north and at first in far south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight between barra and canna.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough later elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 01 Aug 2026 at 1200 UTC until Sunday 02 Aug 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Low pressure centred over the Norwegian Sea with a showery westerly flow for Shetland Waters on Saturday and Sunday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in sheltered waters east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Sunday 02 Aug until 1200 UTC on Sunday 02 Aug
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first. soon becoming rough, but moderate in southeast. slight in sheltered waters just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North to northwest 3 to 4, perhaps locally 5 in the east of the area at first, veering northeasterly 2 to 4 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northeast 3 to 4, veering east 4 to 5 towards dusk, decreasing 2 to 4 by dawn, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of showers later.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate later.
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.