Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
Low pressure centred out in the Atlantic will give a rather brisk southwesterly flow and unsettled weather across the British Isles.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Wed 17 Jun 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Thu 18 Jun 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, veering southwest 3 to 5, then backing south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 or 5, then backing south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 or 5, then backing southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing south 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in northeast, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers for a time, mainly in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in southeast.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing easterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle and fog patches at first, then thundery showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first offshore.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first, and occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3, then west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 5 later near Isles of Scilly.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 2 to 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, occasionally 6 near Anglesey and Lleyn peninsula.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in west.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Liverpool Bay.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, backing southeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Liverpool Bay.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth later in Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Tiree.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, veering southwesterly 2 to 4, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 1 to 3, then south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 1 to 3, then south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6, veering southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 17 Jun 2026 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 17 Jun 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Deep low south of Iceland pushes two frontal systems northeast across Shetland Waters during Wednesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, veering southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 17 Jun until 0600 UTC on Thursday 18 Jun
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 3 mainly in the south of the area.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Mist or fog with patchy drizzle, mainly in the northwest of the area, clearing by midday, then returning later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or variable 1 to 3, perhaps locally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Occasional mist, fog and drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally 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.