Coast and Sea

Inshore waters and strong winds


General situation

A filling low centred to the northwest of Scotland will give a cool and showery westerly flow across the British Isles. Later on Monday, a new Atlantic frontal system will arrive in the southwest, with its associated strong winds and rain expected to spread northeastwards on Tuesday.

Issued at: .

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Sun 17 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 May 2026

Inshore waters and strong winds map


Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or southeast later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
Weather
Rain at first in north, otherwise showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth at first in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 2 to 4, then backing east or southeast later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 3 or 4, veering southeast 4 or 5, then increasing 6 or 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first in south, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming south 2 to 4, then backing southeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first, and occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, becoming south or southeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 3 or 4, backing southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Thundery showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, becoming southerly or southwesterly later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Thundery showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 or 5, veering westerly 3 or 4, then backing southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly 3 or 4, then veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first, then rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, but rain for a time.
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
West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
Weather
Rain at times, showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 4 or 5, backing southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
Weather
Thundery showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
Weather
Showers, buit rain for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, but rain for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming mainly smooth later.
Weather
Thundery showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north, then veering southerly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Fair at first, then rain at times, showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 2 to 4, backing southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming mainly moderate later.
Weather
Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, but rain for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in North Channel, then veering southerly 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, but rain for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 1 to 3, occasionally 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Tiree.
Weather
Fair at first, then rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near skye.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 1 to 3, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near skye.
Weather
Showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southwest.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight east of Shetland.
Weather
Rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

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

Valid Sunday 17 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Monday 18 May 2026 at 0000 UTC

General situation

A complex and shallow area of low pressure will cover Shetland Waters on Sunday.

Forecast

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate, becoming rough in west. occasionally slight just east of shetland.
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Monday 18 May until 1200 UTC on Monday 18 May

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west. slight just east of shetland.
Weather
Mainly fair
Visibility
Good

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West to northwest 3 to 4, locally 5 mid-channel, backing southwest later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, with low swell developing.
Weather
Occasional showers, perhaps locally heavy later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 3 to 4, occasionally 5 mid-channel, backing south during the afternoon, increasing 5 to 6 in the evening, veering southwest 4 to 5 overnight.
Sea state
Slight to moderate with a low swell.
Weather
Showers at first rain from evening, locally heavy, clearing later.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to poor for a time.

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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