Coast and sea
General situation
An area of low pressure over the southern North Sea will continue to move away eastwards, allowing a cold northerly flow to dominate the British Isles. Showers or longer spells of rain will move south along the flow, with rain turning to sleet and snow at times, particularly in the north.
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 or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in Moray Firth, but elsewhere rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally sleet or snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, backing west 3 to 5, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first except in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 except in st andrews bay and Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in Firth of Forth, but elsewhere moderate or rough, but becoming very rough for a time.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in Firth of Forth, elsewhere mainly rough, but very rough at first in southwest, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing northwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 close inshore.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, squally and wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in north.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering northeast for a time, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far north, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally and wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly backing northwesterly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in the wash and Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Rain then squally showers, occasionally wintry in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, veering northeasterly 6 to gale 8, then backing northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near northeastern Norfolk, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far east.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, becoming fair in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing northerly later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth close to shore.
- Weather
- Showers in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first and 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, but in east, slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Fair in east, otherwise showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Squally showers, occasionally wintry, becoming mainly fair in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in west.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in Cardigan Bay and caernarfon bay.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry at first, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, then decreasing 4 at times in Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers, wintry at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- 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 or northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, then decreasing 4 at times in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in North Channel and smooth in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers, mainly in North Channel.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in North Channel.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later, then southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers in North Channel.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry at first, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 or 6, occasionally 7 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in central and southern areas but rough or very rough in north.
- Weather
- Squally sleet or snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate, but becoming smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 or 6, occasionally 7 until later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far south, but elsewhere rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally sleet or snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high for a time.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 19 Nov 2025 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 20 Nov 2025 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A cold, showery, northerly airstream will cover Shetland Waters,
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west.
- Weather
- Wintry showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 20 Nov until 1200 UTC on Thursday 20 Nov
- Wind
- North or northeast 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high becoming rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North to northwest 5 to 6 locally 7, with gusts to 45kt near showers, decreasing 4 to 5 overnight, but with gusts to 30kt still likely with showers.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, decreasing slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- Scattered rain or hail showers, perhaps turning to sleet at times.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 5 with gusts to 30kt likely with showers, locally 3 in the south of the area at times, generally increasing 5 to 6 in the evening, decreasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, locally smooth in the south during the day, locally rather rough overnight.
- Weather
- Isolated rain or hail showers, perhaps turning to sleet at times.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps 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.
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