Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure centred to the northwest of the United Kingdom this evening will bring mostly light winds and fair weather, though stronger winds and showers will continue to affect some far northeastern, eastern and southern waters at first. On Wednesday, a deepening area of low pressure to the northeast of Iceland will bring a strengthening and cold westerly or northwesterly flow, with snow showers and severe gales for northern waters by Thursday.
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
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight in Moray Firth, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 6 to gale 8, veering northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 later in far northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in Moray Firth, otherwise moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough in south, rough or very rough becoming very rough or high in north.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, backing westerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 near Rattray Head, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough occasionally very rough later in north, otherwise slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing west, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 6 or 7, veering northwest 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming wintry and squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, then poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing westerly, the increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 5 or 6, veering northwesterly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, backing westerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in east.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first in east, then poor later near shore.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 2 to 4, backing westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5, backing northwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later near shore.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, backing west 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in far southwest, becoming smooth or slight later in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Showers in far southwest.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4 later, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in far southwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then westerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4, then west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, backing northwest, then west 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, veering northwest 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, veering northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming squally and wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, then westerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming squally and wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming westerly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in far west, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming squally and wintry.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in south, otherwise westerly 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate in south, moderate or rough in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming very rough or high in north.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in south, otherwise westerly 3 to 5, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high later in north.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing westerly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough, but moderate in sheltered south and east, becoming very rough later in west and north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 30 Dec 2025 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 31 Dec 2025 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A strong and showery west or northwest airflow will affect Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest backing west 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate just south and east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 31 Dec until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 31 Dec
- Wind
- West or northwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 4 to 5, locally 6 at first, decreasing 3 to 4 after midnight, then 2 to 3 after midday, locally variable at times.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth or slight by dawn.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, mainly in the north, becoming isolated later.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or variable 2 to 3, backing southwest 3 to 4 by dawn, then northwest 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Scattered showers.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate.
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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