Coast and sea
General situation
A ridge of high pressure will decline, as a cold front brings strong winds, rain and some fog to the coastal waters this evening and into tomorrow, follow by showers, thundery in the north. Another ridge will build tomorrow evening, ahead of another front reaching the southwest on Friday.
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
- South or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Moray Firth and rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering west 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, but rough, occasionally very rough later, in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering southwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, veering west 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, veering west 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southwesterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 to 4, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming westerly or southwesterly 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, veering northwesterly 4 to 6, then southeasterly 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate becoming good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 6, veering northeast, then southeast later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate for a time in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate becoming good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less becoming west or northwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near the Isles of Scilly, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, veering north 3 or 4, then south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay, becoming rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming west or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest 4 or 5, veering west later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, veering northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 2 or 3, then south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, 2 to 4, settling south or southwest, veering west or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later .
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle with fog patches, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, 4 to 6, increasing 5 to 7, backing south 3 or 4 later, then increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, veering west or southwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate, occasionally rough later, in north.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first in southeast, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in southeast.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, backing south 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough, occasionally very rough, in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly 3 or 4, veering westerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first near Mull of Galloway, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first near Mull of Galloway.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, backing southwesterly 3 or 4, then southerly 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 5 to 7, backing southwest 3 or 4, then southeast 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4, then southeast 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, thundery showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 or 4, then southeast 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 08 Apr 2026 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 09 Apr 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
South or southwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters. Atlantic fronts will approach from the west during Thursday morning.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in west later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north and in west later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 09 Apr until 1200 UTC on Thursday 09 Apr
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 occasionally 7 in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough but very rough in north and west.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, occasionally variable 1 to 2, increasing 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth locally slight, with a low swell, becoming slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- Mist and fog banks spreading eastwards after midnight, likely clearing by midday.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor or very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6 by evening, veering north 3 to 4 around midnight, then southeast 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, perhaps rather rough in the far west in the evening, decreasing smooth to slight overnight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches in the far southeast at first.
- Visibility
- Perhaps locally poor or very poor at first, otherwise good.
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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