Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A cold front will clear away to the southeast with a showery and mainly westerly flow across all parts on Thursday. This will be followed by a brief ridge of high pressure during Thursday night into Friday, before wet a windy conditions return to some northwestern 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
Variable 2 to 4, becoming west 4 to 6 for a time.
Sea state
To the west and north of Orkney, moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southeast 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in south and very rough in north.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5 becoming west 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain then showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southeast 6 to gale 8, veering south 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Mainly fair, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 to 5 veering west 5 to 7, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Slight occasionally moderate.
Weather
Rain at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 6 to gale 8, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4 veering west 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Slight occasionally moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 6 or 7, veering west 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
Weather
Rain or showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming southeasterly, then cyclonic later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 veering northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 3 to 5 veering northwest 4 to 6, then southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6, veering west or southwest later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6, veering southeasterly 2 to 4 later, increasing 5 or 6 later in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east, becoming moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly veering westerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west and later in east, becoming very rough later in far west.
Weather
Fair then rain, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time in west, then veering westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west, becoming rough or very rough later except in far east.
Weather
Occasional rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later, then south 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later east of Anglesey.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6 increasing 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Rain at times, squally showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 5 or 6, backing south 3 to 5 later, occasionally 2 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5 increasing 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
Weather
Fair then rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate becoming slight, then slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers then fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 4 or 5 backing south or southeast 7 or gale 8, then veering south or southwest 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Fair, then occasional rain for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West, backing south later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first and 3 later.
Sea state
Mainly rough in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, squally at first, mainly fair later.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 5 or 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, then decreasing 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Fair then rain, squally showers later.
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
Westerly, backing southerly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first and 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Clyde and rough near the Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Showers, squally at first, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Fair then rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West, backing south later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east and very rough elsewhere.
Weather
Showers, squally at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 4 to 6 backing southeast gale 8 to storm 10, then veering south 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in sheltered east, but elsewhere rough or very rough, occasionally high later west of Tiree.
Weather
Fair then rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6 veering westerly 5 to 7, backing southerly 4 to 6 later, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight just east and north of skye, elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
Weather
Showers, squally at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6 backing southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first in south, veering southerly 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough or very rough in south and west.
Weather
Fair then rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6 veering westerly 5 to 7, backing southerly 4 to 6 later, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, but moderate or rough near Sutherland.
Weather
Showers, squally at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 4 to 6 backing southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first in south, veering southerly 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough near Sutherland, but elsewhere rough or very rough, occasionally high later in west.
Weather
Fair then rain, squally showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest veering west, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north and west.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Thursday 09 Apr 2026 at 1200 UTC until Friday 10 Apr 2026 at 0000 UTC

General situation

Cold front will slowly move east across Shetland Waters followed by a showery westerly flow

Forecast

Wind
South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west 3 to 5
Sea state
Rough occasionally very rough in northwest, but moderate in lee shelter
Weather
Rain then showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate or poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Friday 10 Apr until 1200 UTC on Friday 10 Apr

Wind
West 3 to 5
Sea state
Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate or poor

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West to northwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6, veering northeast to east 3 to 4 after midnight and southeast 2 to 3 later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth or slight by dawn, with a low swell.
Weather
Mist or fog patches soon clearing.
Visibility
Good, locally poor or very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East to southeast 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 by dusk, perhaps occasionally 6 mid-channel, veering southwest 3 to 4 after midnight and west 5 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, increasing slight to moderate by dawn, with a low swell further increasing rather rough to rough later.
Weather
Rain or drizzle after midnight, with mist or fog patches, clearing around dawn risk of showers later.
Visibility
Good or very good, occasionally moderate after midnight, locally poor or very poor for a time.

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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