Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

High pressure over the Irish Sea will decline during the next couple of days and an easterly flow will be established. Light or moderate winds over the coastal waters will become fresh to strong easterly especially in the south. The weather will be mainly fair with occasional rain or showers.

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
Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 4 or less, then east or southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Moray Firth and rough at first in northwest.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 4 or 5, backing northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in inner Moray Firth.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 4 or less, becoming east 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far northeast.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 3 to 5 backing northeast 3 or 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 or 4 veering east 4 or 5, backing northeast later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth near shore, becoming moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 2 to 4, veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 or 4 increasing 5.
Sea state
Slight becoming moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming mainly moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers in east.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6.
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
Variable 4 or less, becoming east or northeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in lyme bay.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first and 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in southwest.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth at first in east, occasionally rough later in far southwest.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 or 4, veering east 4 or 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then northeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 2 to 4, veering east 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth becoming mainly slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest, becoming variable for a time, then east later, 2 or 3.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming east or northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth, but slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 2 to 4, increasing 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth at first in south and east.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or northwesterly veering easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 1 to 3, increasing 4 or 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest veering northeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 2 to 4, veering east 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 2 to 4, veering northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth west of skye.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth west of skye.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 2 to 4, veering northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 or 5, veering northeast then east or southeast later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight in east and rough at first in west, otherwise moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Sunday 19 Apr 2026 at 1800 UTC until Monday 20 Apr 2026 at 0600 UTC

General situation

Northwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters

Forecast

Wind
Northwesterly veering easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west
Sea state
Moderate or rough, but slight east of shetland
Weather
Rain or showers
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Monday 20 Apr until 1800 UTC on Monday 20 Apr

Wind
East or northeast 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate, but slight east of shetland
Weather
Rain or showers at first otherwise fair
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeast 3 to 4, occasionally 5, veering east 4 to 5 overnight, perhaps locally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low swell at first.
Weather
Fair or fine.
Visibility
Good or very good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East 4 to 5, increasing 5 to 6, perhaps 7, mid-channel, later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, increasing rather rough to rough mid-channel later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good or very good.

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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