Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
The United Kingdom will continue to lie in an unseasonably cool and showery north to northwesterly airflow during the next 24 hours. The wind will be strong and blustery at times, especially in the northeast. Winds will slowly ease through Friday and into the start of the weekend as a small ridge of high pressure moves east across much of the inshore waters.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Thu 14 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 15 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first in Moray Firth, becoming very rough at times later in north and east.
- Weather
- Showers, squally in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Rattray Head, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 for a time in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Rattray Head, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly backing northwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north and later in south, occasionally rough later near north Norfolk.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south and rough at first near north Norfolk.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, veering northeasterly for a time, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, becoming cyclonic for a time at first, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming westerly or northwesterly, then backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- 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
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in far west, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in east, otherwise westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south and smooth later in far east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in far east, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 at times in east.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in northeast and moderate elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, backing westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 for a time in west, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in southwest, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, then fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, backing southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4, backing south or southwest later, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate until later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- 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
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near Mull of Kintyre and smooth in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, backing southerly or southwesterly later, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north but becoming smooth or slight later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near northern entrance, otherwise slight or moderate in north and smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later in north, otherwise slight or moderate, but becoming smooth or slight between barra and canna.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 14 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Friday 15 May 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Deep low pressure moving west over southern Scandinavia maintains a strong to gale force north or northwesterly airstream over Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- North 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming very rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Friday 15 May until 1200 UTC on Friday 15 May
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Very rough but rough in sheltered waters south of shetland.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6 at first, backing north 3 to 4 after dusk, locally 5 until midnight.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate after dusk, then slight with a low swell later.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, locally heavy with a risk of hail and thunder until around dusk, becoming isolated overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor until dusk.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 3 to 4, backing northwest in the afternoon, locally 5 for a time, backing west later.
- Sea state
- Slight with a low swell, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate.
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.