Coast and sea
General situation
A strong, showery westerly or northwesterly flow will persist across the United Kingdom on Monday, bringing strong winds for all and gales across Scottish waters. Winds easing away from the far north on Tuesday.
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
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- To the north and west of Orkney very rough or high, elsewhere slight or moderate, occasional rough in north and east.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 north and west of Orkney and later also elsewhere.
- Sea state
- To the north and west of Orkney, rough or very rough, elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West backing southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, backing west or southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, backing west 2 to 4, becoming variable for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northeast at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, backing westerly 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 5 or 6, veering northwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, backing westerly 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering northwest, 4 or 5 occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, backing west 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough west of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later west of the Lizard peninsula, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in north and east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- 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 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West backing southwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing west or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest or southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- In far north, very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough, elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far north, slight or moderate in North Channel, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first near Mull of Kintyre, backing westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later in North Channel, elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate near Mull of Kintyre, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, becoming west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west, becoming moderate or rough later in east.
- Weather
- Squally showers, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in sheltered east.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in west, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally slight later in east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near entrances, becoming slight or moderate in central areas later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Squally showers, then occasional rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough between barra and canna.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering northwest, 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- In sheltered east, moderate or rough, elsewhere very rough or high.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Monday 30 Mar 2026 at 0000 UTC until Monday 30 Mar 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A deep low in the Norwegian Sea will gradually fill north. A developing Atlantic low will track northeast towards Iceland on Monday.
Forecast
- Wind
- West 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, but moderate or rough to the east of shetland.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Monday 30 Mar until 0000 UTC on Tuesday 31 Mar
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, but moderate or rough to the east of shetland.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 5 to 6, with gusts to 35kt at first, veering northwest 4 to 5 by the early hours, perhaps locally 6 at times during the afternoon.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough decreasing slight with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle and perhaps coastal mist patches, clearing Monday morning.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, becoming moderate to very poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 decreasing 3 to 4 by dawn.
- Sea state
- Slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Patchy rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps 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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