Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

Low pressure in the North Sea will be slow-moving and gradually fill through Wednesday, bringing strong winds to many areas but gradually easing. A rapidly deepening low will reach the western English Channel later on Thursday, moving quickly east, bringing gales and a risk of storms for some southern 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
Mainly southeasterly 5 to 7 near Orkney, but elsewhere cyclonic mainly southeasterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in south.
Weather
Occasional sleet or wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 5 to 7 at first near north Orkney, otherwise cyclonic mainly southeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north and later in east.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 near Rattray Head and at first near Berwick upon Tweed.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain, sleet, or wintry showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then east 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Rough becoming mainly moderate.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 2 to 4, backing east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 4 or 5, backing northeast 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly 5 or 6, decreasing 2 to 4, backing easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northeast, becoming smooth or slight in south.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north and later in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north and later in south.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough offshore.
Weather
Rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time at first and again later, then becoming cyclonic 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 6 to gale 8, becoming northwest 7 to severe gale 9.
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough for a time.
Weather
Occasional rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later, then severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 later in far west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west, becoming rough or very rough later, occasionally high later in west.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11 in west, perhaps hurricane force 12 at first in far west, becoming northwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Very rough or high, occasionally rough in east, and very high at first in west, becoming moderate or rough occasionally very rough later.
Weather
Rain then squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later, then increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later, but increasing severe gale 9 to violent storm 11 later in southwest.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in Bristol Channel, becoming very rough later near Lands End.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic gale 8 to storm 10, occasionally violent storm 11 in southwest, becoming northwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Mainly moderate or rough in east, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in south.
Weather
Occasional rain or sleet then squally showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 4 to 6 for a time, becoming northeast 5 to 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later near St Davids Head.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 6 to gale 8, backing northwest 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Occasional rain or sleet then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in south.
Weather
Mainly fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast backing north, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in south.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable then northwest 3 or less, veering northeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Rain for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northeast 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly 3 to 5 for a time, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 later in south.
Sea state
Moderate in far north, smooth or slight elsewhere.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic mainly northeasterly, becoming northwesterly later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

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 westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate near Mull of Kintyre, smooth or slight elsewhere.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic 5 to 7, then west or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic, becoming mainly southwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Mainly smooth or slight in shelter near skye, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic mainly south or southwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near entrances.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic, becoming mainly southwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, wintry at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic mainly south or southwest, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight between barra and canna and near Sutherland.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly veering southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in southwest.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Wednesday 07 Jan 2026 at 1800 UTC until Thursday 08 Jan 2026 at 0600 UTC

General situation

A shallow low in the North Sea slowly clears east through Wednesday. A new low pressure system developing near the Faeroes extends an Atlantic trough across Shetland Waters through Thursday.

Forecast

Wind
East or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Scattered wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Thursday 08 Jan until 1800 UTC on Thursday 08 Jan

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in southwest.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Scattered wintry showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West to northwest 3 to 4, soon increasing 5 to 6, backing south 3 to 4 by mid-morning, then veering southwest 6 to 7 by dusk, locally gale 8 to severe gale 9 in the west of the area later.
Sea state
Moderate to rather rough, locally rough in the west, perhaps very rough later.
Weather
Rain and drizzle, occasionally heavy after midnight.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate to poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest gale 8 to storm 10, locally violent storm 11 at first, veering northwest gale 8 to severe gale 9 by midnight, decreasing 6 to 7 by dawn.
Sea state
Rather rough to rough, soon increasing very rough to high, decreasing rough later.
Weather
Rain and drizzle, perhaps occasionally heavy with mist, clearing to squally showers with hail overnight.
Visibility
Good, occasionally 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.

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