Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A cold and strong north or northwest airflow will persist, with gales affecting northern and eastern areas at times. Wintry showers will affect many areas, with squally snow showers in places, mainly across northern and eastern 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)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 until later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in shelter, otherwise rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times in north.
Sea state
Rough or very rough at first west of Orkney, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough until later near Rattray Head and in far south.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight near shore.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 until later, decreasing 5 at times later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later in north.
Sea state
Rough, occasionally very rough in north, and moderate in south.
Weather
Squally sleet and snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in north, slight or moderate in south.
Weather
Squally sleet and snow showers, mainly in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Squally wintry showers in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in north.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming mainly slight.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth near shore.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first offshore and smooth in shelter near shore.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or northwest veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in lyme bay, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Wintry showers in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in west.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in far west, smooth or slight elsewhere.
Weather
Wintry 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 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather
Wintry 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
North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west and slight in east.
Weather
Squally wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Solway Firth.
Weather
Squally wintry showers, mainly in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Solway Firth.
Weather
Wintry showers, mainly in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 for a time later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Wintry showers, mainly in south and west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough until later in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Squally sleet and snow showers, mainly north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
Weather
Sleet and snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth east of arran.
Weather
Squally sleet and snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde and near arran.
Weather
Sleet and snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in east.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far west, smooth at times east of islay and jura.
Weather
Snow showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally very poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Rough or very rough to north of skye, elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 5 or 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first north of skye, elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough between barra and canna, elsewhere rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in south, rough or very rough in north.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally snow showers.
Visibility
Moderate, occasionally very poor.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Saturday 03 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC until Sunday 04 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC

General situation

A strong, unstable, northerly airflow over Shetland Waters with frequent snow and hail showers.

Forecast

Wind
North 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally snow and hail showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Sunday 04 Jan until 1200 UTC on Sunday 04 Jan

Wind
North 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Squally snow and hail showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly 4 to 5, occasionally 6 until late evening, decreasing 3 to 4 Sunday morning.
Sea state
Slight to moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps locally heavy with hail, clearing by early afternoon.
Visibility
Good or very good, perhaps occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North 3 to 4, backing west to northwest by midnight, veering north 4 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, locally smooth until later.
Weather
Wintry showers, from evening, perhaps locally heavy, clearing later.
Visibility
Good or very good, occasionally moderate later.

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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