Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
Low pressure centred to the northwest of the United Kingdom will continue to bring strong winds with rain and showers today and tomorrow. High pressure will then start to build in from the southeast, with lighter winds and more settled conditions towards the southeast by Thursday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Tue 19 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Wed 20 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4, veering westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches in far northeast.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor in far northeast.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but 6 at first in far northeast, veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery at first in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming slight, then smooth later in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 to 5, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth in the wash and Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 3 or 4, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally very poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in the Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, backing southeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming 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 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally very poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first in northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches in later northwest.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor, then very poor later in northwest.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in the north for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough in the south at first, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate, occasionally poor, becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then rain, and mist and fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in southeast, veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming 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 veering southwesterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate at first to the south of the isle of arran.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in central areas at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far south, becoming smooth or slight later in central areas.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5, then 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 19 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Atlantic low will be slow moving to the northwest of Scotland. Strong southeasterly flow will cover Shetland Waters with a frontal system moving northeast Tuesday evening, clearing early Wednesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Mainly rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Rain at times
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 20 May until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 20 May
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later
- Sea state
- Rough becoming mainly moderate
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, locally 6 in the northwest of the area, locally 3 in the southeast of the area, generally becoming west to northwest 2 to 4 tomorrow afternoon.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, in the northwest of the area, otherwise slight to moderate with a low swell, generally becoming smooth to slight with a moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers this evening patchy rain and drizzle spreading in from the west after midnight, clearing eastward around midday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 in the far north of the area at first, otherwise variable 1 to 3, becoming south to southeast 2 to 3 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a moderate swell, decreasing to a low swell by dawn Thursday.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches until early afternoon, mainly in the far east overnight, then mainly in the far west.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor at times.
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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