Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A light airflow covers the United Kingdom, with moderate winds affecting the far southeast of England at first. A strong southerly wind will develop across some Scottish waters as a deepening low approaches from the Atlantic.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Wed 6 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 7 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4, veering south 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later except in the Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in the Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Cape Wrath.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first near Orkney, veering west or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north, becoming smooth later in the Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or less, increasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth for a time in south, otherwise slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in st andrews bay and Firth of Forth, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later near st andrews bay and Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast, becoming variable, 2 to 4, then becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later in south.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly, veering southeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate for a time in north, otherwise slight occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later near Anglesey.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first near Anglesey.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, increasing 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or less, veering south 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Souts 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering north or northeast later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in the North Channel.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in the North Channel, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally rough later near Tiree.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then veering north or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering southwest 5 or 6, increasing 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in central waters, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming smooth later in central waters.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering southwest 5 or 6, increasing 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later between barra and canna.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 3 to 5, then veering south 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in sheltered east, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Thursday 07 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Atlantic low pressure will drift east, becoming slow moving to the northwest of Scotland on Thursday. Associated warm front will move northeast across Shetland Waters on Wednesday night.
Forecast
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3 becoming southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just southeast of shetland at first
- Weather
- Rain
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Thursday 07 May until 1800 UTC on Thursday 07 May
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, but 4 at first in east
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming mainly rough
- Weather
- Rain at times
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 2 to 3, veering southeast 3 to 4 after midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, mainly in the south risk of mist or fog patches near french coast overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate perhaps poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast to east 3 to 4, becoming variable 2 to 3 by midday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers risk of mist or fog patches near french coast overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate perhaps poor or very 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.