Coast and sea
General situation
A deep area of low pressure over belgium bringing wet and windy conditions to many southern and southeastern waters, will move away eastwards. Winds will be lighter elsewhere with showers, perhaps wintry in places.
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
- South or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in shelter.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly backing southerly or southeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, veering south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 7, veering east 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, becoming wintry later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East 3 to 5, veering south or southeast 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming northerly or northwesterly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in south, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or sleet at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, veering southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first and again later.
- Weather
- Wintry showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or sleet, fair later in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later, then southerly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers at first in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in east.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later, then south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in far west, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later, then south or southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first, but slight or moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near Lands End and slight later in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later, then south or southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west, occasionally very rough at first near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- 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, backing west for a time, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later, then south or southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in south, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- In far north, moderate, occasionally rough later, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming south 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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 southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry at first in far north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in far north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 7 or gale 8 later, occasionally severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough at times later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later, perhaps severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 09 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 10 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Complex area of low pressure south of Iceland remains slow moving with a strong southerly flow continuing across Shetland Waters. Ridge of high pressure across Scandinavia will extend westwards.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough in northeast
- Weather
- Wintry showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 10 Jan until 1200 UTC on Saturday 10 Jan
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 or 7
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough in northeast
- Weather
- Wintry showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 6 to 7 with gusts to 50kt, decreasing 5 to 6 overnight and 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, decreasing moderate with a moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Rain or hail showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 3 to 4, locally 5 at first, becoming variable 2 to 3 in the evening, then south to southeast 3 to 4 by midnight, further increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a moderate swell, decreasing smooth or slight with a low swell for a time, increasing rather rough to rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, dying out in the evening rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor 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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