Coast and sea
General situation
An area of low pressure moving slowly eastwards will approach western parts bringing further showers or perhaps some longer spells of rain to all areas, with some heavy showers likely for more western waters.
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)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly south, 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in north and smooth or slight in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 to the north and west of Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south or southwest 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, backing east for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly backing easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, backing south or southeast 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing east or northeast, 2 to 4, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Very rough until later west of Lands End, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, backing east or southeast 2 to 4, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Rough until later west of Lizard Point, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east and very rough until later near land's end.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in southwest, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later near St Davids Head, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, backing east 2 to 4 for a time in Solway Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, backing east 2 to 4 for a time in Solway Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- 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
- Southerly or southeasterly, backing easterly for a time later in north, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth or slight in northeast, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the east of islay and jura, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering south later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in far south, backing easterly later.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth or slight to the north and east of skye, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly veering southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the southwest of skye, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south, backing easterly later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first to the west of the Outer Hebrides, becoming slight or moderate near Sutherland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly veering southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate near Sutherland, but elsewhere moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south or southeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 16 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A complex area of low pressure remains slow moving to the west of the UK. Southerly flow will cover Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southwest, backing southeast, 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 17 Jan until 1200 UTC on Saturday 17 Jan
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 5 and gusty around showers this afternoon, decreasing 3 to 4 Saturday morning.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with swell, locally rather rough in the north at first.
- Weather
- Isolated showers some mist and fog patches developing Saturday morning.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to poor locally very poor Saturday morning.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 3 to 4, backing east 2 to 3 around dusk, then northeast 4 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight with a low swell, locally smooth for a time.
- Weather
- Some mist or coastal fog patches, more especially in the south of the area patchy rain or drizzle likely overnight.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, locally poor or very poor at times.
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.
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