Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure centred to the northwest of the United Kingdom will bring mostly light winds, with some showers for many northern and eastern waters today, and southern waters from tomorrow. The high will then become centred to the northeast on Tuesday, with mainly fair conditions, however a strengthening northeasterly flow will develop in the south, with gales likely in the English Channel later on Tuesday into Wednesday.
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)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first, fog patches for a time in east.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor for a time in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in northwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in south.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, veering northeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly veering easterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly later 3 to 5, but variable 3 or less at first in east, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west, becoming rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5, veering east or northeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly veering easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5, but becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest veering north 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth or slight at first in east, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near northern entrance.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming slight, but smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Showers at first, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Monday 27 Apr 2026 at 1200 UTC until Tuesday 28 Apr 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
High pressure covers Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4 in east, but variable 3 or less in west
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate
- Weather
- Showers at first in east. Mist or fog patches
- Visibility
- Good or moderate, occasionally poor or very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Tuesday 28 Apr until 1200 UTC on Tuesday 28 Apr
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate in far north at first
- Weather
- Mist or fog patches
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor or very poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 at times, mainly mid-channel around dusk, generally increasing 4 to 5 perhaps locally 6 by dawn tomorrow, then generally increasing 5 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate around dawn tomorrow, then rather rough in the north and west later.
- Weather
- A risk of mist patches in the north until dusk a risk of isolated showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor in the north until dusk.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 6 perhaps locally 7 in the north of the area, generally increasing 6 to 7 by midnight, veering east Wednesday morning and decreasing 4 to 5 in the far south of the area.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate in the southeast, otherwise moderate to rather rough increasing rather rough to rough.
- Weather
- A risk of isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate at times.
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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