Coast and sea
General situation
A strong north or northwest airflow covers the United Kingdom, with gales affecting northern and eastern areas at times. Wintry showers will affect many areas, with squally snow showers in places mainly across northern and eastern 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
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in shelter, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in north.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in shelter, otherwise rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near Rattray Head and in far south.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in firths of Tay and Forth, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in north, moderate or rough in south.
- Weather
- Squally sleet and snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north and 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in north, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Squally sleet and snow showers, mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor in north.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in far east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in shelter near shore and moderate offshore.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, veering northeasterly west of Lizard Point, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in lyme bay, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly at first west of Lizard Point, otherwise northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later in far west, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Wintry showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in far east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- 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 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near great orme head.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers in south and west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in south and west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Wintry showers, mainly in south and west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, backing west or northwest 5 or 6, then veering north or northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in far north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally sleet and snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Sleet and snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight in Firth of Clyde and near arran, otherwise moderate, occasionally rough at first near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Squally sleet and snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde and near arran.
- Weather
- Sleet and snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far west.
- Weather
- Snow showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in north, occasionally very rough in far north, slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 until later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough between barra and canna, rough or very rough elsewhere.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in south, rough or very rough in north.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in north and west.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in north and west.
- Weather
- Squally snow showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 03 Jan 2026 at 0600 UTC until Saturday 03 Jan 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A strong, unstable, northerly airflow over Shetland Waters with frequent snow and hail showers.
Forecast
- Wind
- North 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, occasionally rough just southeast of shetland.
- Weather
- Squally snow and hail showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally poor or very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Saturday 03 Jan until 0600 UTC on Sunday 04 Jan
- Wind
- North 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough, occasionally high in the west at first, rough to the southeast of shetland.
- Weather
- Squally snow and hail showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally poor or very poor.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North to northwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps locally heavy with hail, clearing by early afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 5, decreasing 3 to 4 by midday, backing west to northwest by evening.
- Sea state
- Slight, locally smooth.
- Weather
- Wintry showers, from evening, perhaps locally heavy.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate 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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