Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
The United Kingdom lies in a cooler south or southwesterly airflow than of late. Rain or showers will spread east across northwestern waters through the period, with some of these showers turning thundery on Saturday. Elsewhere, there will be plenty of fair weather around, with just some showers at first for the southeast, and during Saturday in the west.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 29 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Sat 30 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 4 to 6, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in the Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south or southeast at first, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate west of Orkney, elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southeast at first, then becoming southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering west later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly becoming variable, mainly westerly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming easterly or northeasterly later in east, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly at first in east, otherwise variable, 2 to 4, becoming westerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming north for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4, becoming west or northwest, backing southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming north for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the inner Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first near Anglesey.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less at times in Liverpool Bay.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less at first in Liverpool Bay.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight, occasionally smooth in the north.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain and drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle fog patches then mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Rain and thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Galloway.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly or southeasterly, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair then rain at times, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth north of skye.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate south of skye.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly for a time, 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in south until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 29 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 30 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A frontal trough, associated with a low moving NE across the Faeroes, will clear to the east of Shetland Waters, with a ridge building north to the west of Shetland.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in north
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 30 May until 1800 UTC on Saturday 30 May
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, locally 5 in the east of the area at first, backing northwest by midday tomorrow, further backing west 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell developing.
- Weather
- Isolated showers until midnight, with a small risk of thunder and mist patches.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor until midnight.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5, backing west to southwest 2 to 4 by dawn Sunday.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Patchy rain or drizzle and mist Sunday morning.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to poor 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.