Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

An area of high pressure will be dominant across the United Kingdom over the next couple of days, maintaining settled conditions with only light or moderate breezes in most areas. However, fronts will edge into the far northwest with fresh or strong winds across Shetland and northwest Scotland, and strengthening further from Saturday night as an area of low pressure moves northeast near Iceland.

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
Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in northwest, becoming variable, then mainly southeasterly later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
To the west and north of Orkney, rough, becoming very rough at times, otherwise smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather
Fair, then rain at times in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 2 to 4, veering southwesterly, then westerly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
Sea state
To the west and north of Orkney, rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later, but elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, mainly in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 4 to 6 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast, becoming variable for a time, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 2 to 4, veering south or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast, becoming variable for a time near Whitby, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 near Whitby.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 2 in north.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in north.
Weather
Fog patches in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in far west.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in far west.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East 2 or 3, backing northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast 2 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times in west.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate near Lands End.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or northwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Mainly moderate near land's end, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight in south.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in north.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth.
Weather
Fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest, then veering northwest later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather
Fog patches at first, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 2 or 3.
Sea state
Smooth.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 2 or 3, veering west 3 or 4, then northwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
In far north, slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, but elsewhere, smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 or 4, then veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain or drizzle.
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
Southerly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then southeasterly 3 or 4 later in North Channel.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Fog patches for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 or 4, then veering northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain or drizzle.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 at first in north, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 4 or 5 later in northwest.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west, occasionally very rough later in far northwest.
Weather
Fair then occasional drizzle.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly, then northwesterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, rough or very rough in west.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
Sea state
Mainly smooth or slight near skye, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional drizzle or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north, veering westerly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming rough at times near northern entrance.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, veering westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough to the west and north of the Outer Hebrides.
Weather
Occasional drizzle or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in north, veering westerly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough between barra and canna, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally high later in north.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first then decreasing 3 at times.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in shelter to the east of Shetland, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Valid Friday 20 Mar 2026 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 21 Mar 2026 at 0600 UTC

General situation

Low to the far north maintaining the southwest flow. Weak Atlantic troughs reaching your area today.

Forecast

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in southeast
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
Weather
Rain or drizzle
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 21 Mar until 1800 UTC on Saturday 21 Mar

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west, but slight in lee shelter of shetland
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East to northeast 3 to 4, locally 5 at times.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Risk of mist or fog patches south of jersey by dawn, clearing around noon.
Visibility
Moderate to good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, with a low swell developing later.
Weather
Risk of mist or fog patches near french coast overnight.
Visibility
Moderate to good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.

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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