Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

The United Kingdom will lie in a mainly southeasterly airflow during the next 24 hours, with many places having either rain or showers.

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
East or southeast veering south or southeast, 3 to 5, but becoming variable 2 at times in Moray Firth.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Orkney but becoming variable 2 at times in Moray Firth.
Sea state
Smooth or slight until later in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times in east.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in east.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in far north but becoming variable 3 or less for a time elsewhere.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in south.
Weather
Rain at times, mainly at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth, but elsewhere south or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in south.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first in north and smooth later in south.
Weather
Rain at times, mainly at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 2 to 4, backing east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle at first, fog patches developing.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 at times.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate for a time at first in north.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor at first.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly backing northeasterly 2 to 4, veering easterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain in north, mainly later, fog patches developing.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly veering southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain, mainly at first in north, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly backing easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate at first in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly veering southerly or southeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast backing east or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 3 or 4 veering southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly 3 to 5, backing northeasterly 3 or 4 in east but becoming variable 3 or less in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate to the east of the Lizard Peninsula, but further west, rough becoming moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4 at first in east and southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4 later in west, otherwise variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly in east, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in west, becoming variable 2 or less later in south.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 3 or 4 near Pembrokeshire, and later also near Cornwall, otherwise variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight to the east of Anglesey.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less except near Pembrokeshire.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except near St David's Head.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 in Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth, but elsewhere easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate until later in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, then rain later in Liverpool Bay.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later in Liverpool Bay.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in northwest, becoming variable 2 at times elsewhere.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in northwest.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in Liverpool Bay.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers then fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly veering southerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, decreasing 3 at times later.
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
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 close inshore.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast, veering south later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, veering south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west and south, smooth or slight in east and north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in north and 7 later in west.
Sea state
To the south and west of Skye, slight or moderate, occasionally rough later, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, veering south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight near Sutherland.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, then becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first near Sutherland but becoming moderate or rough elsewhere.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Valid Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC until Sunday 18 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC

General situation

High pressure over Scandinavia and low pressure to the west of the UK will maintain a south or southeast airflow over Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Sunday 18 Jan until 1200 UTC on Sunday 18 Jan

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6
Sea state
Moderate
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South to southeast 3 to 4, locally 5, backing east to northeast this evening, veering southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell.
Weather
Risk of isolated showers in the northwest of the area at first, then rain and drizzle from midnight, with mist or fog patches likely later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor or very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 around dusk, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low swell.
Weather
Patchy rain or drizzle, with mist or fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate to 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.

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.

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