Coast and sea
General situation
The brisk north to northeasterly wind currently affecting the southeast will gradually ease during the next 24 hours leaving the United Kingdom in a mostly slack airflow. However a strengthening southerly breeze will develop across northern Scotland as an area of low pressure approaches from the Atlantic.
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
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming southerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South, veering southwest later, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth and moderate or rough in far north, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth or slight, but occasionally moderate at first near Rattray Head and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth, veering southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4 veering east 2 or 3, then south or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in south, increasing 6 at times later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 3 to 5, then veering south later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6 veering easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, veering southeasterly later, 3 or 4, decreasing 2 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east but becoming variable 2 or 3 for a time later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in far east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, but becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far east, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast veering south or southeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly, veering easterly or southeasterly from the Lizard peninsula eastwards, 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming east or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering east or northeast, 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in north, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming south or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 or 5 becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, veering southwesterly in north but becoming variable 2 to 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East veering southeast 3 to 5, then veering south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly southeast 3 to 5, becoming south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in far north, otherwise slight, but occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time except in North Channel, then veering southerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first and 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south or southeast, 3 to 5, veering south or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first in south, increasing 6 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then becoming rough for a time later near western Tiree.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5 at first in far south, otherwise variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6 veering southwesterly 5 to 7, then veering northwesterly 4 to 6 later in north and west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5 at first in far south, otherwise variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6 veering southwesterly 5 to 7, then veering northwesterly 4 to 6 later except in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing westerly or southwesterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in north, backing southerly or southwesterly 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time at first in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 0000 UTC until Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A west or northwesterly airflow covers Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing westerly or southwesterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in north, but slight just southeast of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Wednesday 06 May until 0000 UTC on Thursday 07 May
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just southeast of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 4, veering northeast to east by dawn, becoming locally 1 to 3 in the north of the area from around dusk.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy, clearing by mid-afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 2 to 3, locally variable 1 to 2.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers, risk of mist or fog patches near the French coast towards dawn.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps occasionally moderate, risk locally poor overnight.
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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