Coast and sea
General situation
A slack airflow covers most of the United Kingdom, with mainly light or moderate winds and showers. However an area of low pressure will approach the far northwest later on Wednesday into Thursday, bringing strengthening south or southwest winds and rain to the northwest.
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
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in west, otherwise southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor in northwest.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5, veering south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, then veering southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, veering south or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeasterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, veering easterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3 at first in west, otherwise northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate at until later in far east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming mainly east or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering east or northeast, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering east or northeast, 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North veering east 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6, veering south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, veering east or northeast 3 to 5, veering south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, increasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in south.
- 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
- Cyclonic, becoming easterly or southeasterly, veering southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, veering southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in east, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in central areas, moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming rough later near entrances.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in north and west, otherwise moderate, but slight to the southeast.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 05 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A cold and showery northwesterly flow over Shetland Waters will ease tonight.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5 backing westerly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in north and west, but slight just southeast of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers, occasionally wintry at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 06 May until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 06 May
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far north at first, but slight just southeast of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North to northwest 3 to 4, veering northeast by dawn, becoming locally 1 to 3 in the north of the area later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy around midnight.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor around midnight.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 3, occasionally 4, veering southeast overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers risk of mist or fog patches near the french coast towards dawn.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
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.
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.
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