Coast and sea
General situation
The United Kingdom will be covered by a mostly slack airflow, with brisk winds affecting the far southeast of England slowly decreasing. A strong southerly wind will develop across northern Scotland as low pressure approaches from the Atlantic.
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
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later except in the Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in the Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Cape Wrath.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first except in the Moray Firth, veering west or northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north, becoming smooth later in the Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth for a time in south, otherwise slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in st andrews bay and Firth of Forth, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later near st andrews bay and Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near the wash, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later in south.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate for a time in north, otherwise slight occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in east, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or southeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- 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 occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later near Lands End.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming south or southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, backing southeast 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in far 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
- Southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near the 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 2 to 4, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally rough later near Tiree.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then veering north or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, veering southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in central waters, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first, becoming smooth later in central waters.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor becoming good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, veering southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later between barra and canna.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor becoming good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in sheltered east, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 07 May 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A slack pressure pattern covers Shetland Waters. Warm front will approach from the west later this evening. Atlantic low pressure will become slow moving to the northwest of Scotland on Thursday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 or 4 later in west
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just southeast of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 07 May until 1200 UTC on Thursday 07 May
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7, but variable 2 at first in east
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just southeast of shetland at first. becoming rough later in west
- Weather
- Rain
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 3, occasionally 4 in the north and west, veering east to southeast overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight at times.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps locally heavy, dying out for a time late afternoon and early evening risk of mist or fog patches near french coast.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor or very poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 4, backing east to northeast by mid-afternoon, becoming variable after midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight at times.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps locally heavy at times risk of mist or fog patches near french coast at first.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor or very poor 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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