Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure will persist over the next few days with mainly light or moderate breezes and fair weather for most areas. However, a decaying cold front will bring rain, drizzle and fog patches to the northwest, before clearing on Tuesday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Mon 25 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Tue 26 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, veering northwesterly later, 3 to 5, but variable 2 to 4 at times in south.
- Sea state
- To the west and north of Orkney, moderate, occasionally rough, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate to the west of Orkney, occasionally rough at first to the northwest of Orkney.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly, veering easterly or southeasterly later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3, then becoming north or northeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast, veering east later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly veering southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East veering southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight in east, moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight until later in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in southwest and smooth in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly veering easterly, 3 to 5, but variable 2 or 3 at first in east, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly, veering easterly later in south, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later near Mull of Galloway.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in northwest.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming north or northwest, 2 or 3, increasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering east or northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches at first in far north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in far north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast, then veering southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north and later far southeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 in North Channel and later elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle and fog patches at first near Mull of Kintyre, otherwise fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first near Mull of Kintyre.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, veering easterly or northeasterly, then veering southeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming north or northwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle with fog patches, becoming mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast, then veering southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in central areas.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near entrances.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough until later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, veering east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 25 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Tuesday 26 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
West or southwesterly flow will prevail across Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest veering west 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight east of shetland
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Tuesday 26 May until 1800 UTC on Tuesday 26 May
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight east of shetland
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 3 to 4, veering east to southeast 2 to 4 by midnight, occasionally variable 1 to 2.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 3 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 at times, veering east to southeast overnight, perhaps locally 5 mid-channel later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell, locally moderate in the north of the area later.
- Weather
- A risk of isolated thundery showers near the french coast on Wednesday afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps 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.