Coast and sea
General situation
Pressure will remain high across the United Kingdom during the next 24 hours, especially across northern and eastern areas. Conditions will be settled, although a fresh or strong easterly wind will continue to affect southern parts.
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
- East or southeast, backing northeast in Moray Firth, 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, increasing 4 at times, then becoming north 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later near northern Orkney.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 2 or 3 veering southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 or 3, occasionally 4 at first in south, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in The Wash.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, veering easterly 3 to 5 for a time at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly, veering southeasterly for a time at first in west, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first from Beachy Head eastwards.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in The Solent.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then veering southeast for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 from Prawle Point westwards, decreasing 4 at times further east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west and 3 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times in east but occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers later in west.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Mainly east or southeast, but northeast in Severn Estuary, 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly east or southeast, but northeast in Severn Estuary, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first and variable 2 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6 decreasing 3 or 4, then occasionally 5 again later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Cardigan Bay, Caernarfon Bay and to the east of Anglesey, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate near St David's Head, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast, but mainly northeast in Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 at first in west and south, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, then backing east or northeast 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- 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
- Easterly or northeasterly, but mainly southeasterly in North Channel, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less in north and east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first near western Tiree, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 or 4 at first in west and south, otherwise variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, but mainly east or southeast at first, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times, then becoming northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, but mainly east or southeast at first, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first near Barra and Vatersay, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times, then becoming northeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later to the west of the Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 23 Apr 2026 at 0600 UTC until Thursday 23 Apr 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure covers Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in far northeast
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in southwest, slight or moderate in northeast
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Thursday 23 Apr until 0600 UTC on Friday 24 Apr
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in far northeast
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in southwest, moderate in northeast
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 4 to 5, occasionally 6 with gusts to 35kt, mainly in the north of the area.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, occasionally rather rough in the north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 4 to 5, occasionally 6 mid-channel at first, generally decreasing 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, occasionally rather rough mid-channel at first, decreasing smooth or slight with a low swell later.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate later.
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.
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.