Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
The United Kingdom lies in a slack and humid airmass, while a cold front brings thundery showers and fog patches across the northwest. During Friday, this front will weaken as it moves southeast, which allows a fresher northwesterly flow to become established across the north and west.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Thu 13 Aug 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Fri 14 Aug 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 west of Orkney.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west of Orkney.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in southeast, otherwise westerly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly 4 or 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, but becoming westerly 4 or 5 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or northwest 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering west or northwest, then becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in south.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming west or northwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, veering north 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- 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
- West or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in the inner Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West veering north 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering north later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches, showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 at times in shelter.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 except in far south.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in north and east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwesterly 2 to 4 later, occasionally 5 later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, or very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, or very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, or very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering west, 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, or very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southwest, veering west later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, or very poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Thursday 13 Aug 2026 at 1800 UTC until Friday 14 Aug 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A showery southerly becoming westerly airflow will continue to affect Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwesterly or variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches. Isolated thunderstorms
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Friday 14 Aug until 1800 UTC on Friday 14 Aug
- Wind
- Variable becoming westerly 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Locally variable 1 to 2 in the north at first, otherwise west to northwest 2 to 4, perhaps occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Mist or fog patches developing after midnight, clearing late morning.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally poor or very poor after midnight.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 4, veering northerly 4 to 5 after midnight, locally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches after midnight.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.
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.
Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.