Coast and sea
General situation
The United Kingdom will be covered by a cold and showery, northerly airflow. Strong winds will affect most waters. Eastern waters of Scotland may see gales at first on Wednesday morning.
Issued at:
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period to
Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north, becoming slight later in inner Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Squally showers, becoming wintry.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers, becoming wintry.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, backing west 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near berwick-upon-tweed.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest, veering north, 5 to 7, decreasing 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate, occasionally slight later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest, veering north, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first near Whitby.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, backing northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in north, becoming slight later near Gibraltar Point.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, veering northerly, 3 to 5, increasing 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth for a time in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, veering northeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, veering northeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate becoming good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, veering northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, increasing 5 to 7 in west, then veering northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, veering northeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Cardigan Bay.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, veering northeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth near shore in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, veering northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, veering northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far north.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, veering northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North, veering northeast, 5 or 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Rain or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 5 to 7, decreasing 2 to 4, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming smooth later near skye.
- Weather
- Showers, squally for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 5 to 7, decreasing 2 to 4, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough at first near Cape Wrath, becoming moderate occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 12 Mar 2025 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 12 Mar 2025 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A cold, showery northerly airstream covers Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough in west at first. moderate in well sheltered southeastern waters
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally wintry
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 12 Mar until 0600 UTC on Thursday 13 Mar
- Wind
- Northerly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally wintry
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 2 to 4, veering northeast 4 to 5 overnight, locally gusty with showers.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing moderate in the north and west overnight.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, locally heavy with hail, mainly later.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate to poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 5, locally gusty with showers, decreasing 3 to 4 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight, locally moderate in the north and west at first, decreasing smooth in the southeast later.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, locally heavy, perhaps with hail.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate to poor.
The 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.