Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
Low pressure in the southeastern North Sea will maintain a strong northerly flow to southeastern waters at first, otherwise winds will be mainly light or moderate, with rain later today in the far north. A strengthening and showery westerly or northwesterly flow will then develop, with strong winds in the north by Tuesday morning, then for western and southern waters later on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Mon 11 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Tue 12 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, backing southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly or northwesterly later, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth, becoming moderate or rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate, but poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth and moderate or rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest then cyclonic, 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, becoming west or southwest 3 to 5, veering north later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly backing westerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in northeast, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate, but poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate, but poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth in lyme bay and occasionally moderate in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at first in lyme bay, occasionally rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3 at first in east, otherwise westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth until later in the Bristol Channel and occasionally moderate in far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time.
- Weather
- Fair, rain and showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain for a time, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4 backing west 4 or 5, veering northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5 occasionally 6 at first, backing west 5 or 6, veering northwest 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
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate but smooth or slight at first in south, becoming moderate or rough later in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- 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
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later south of the isle of arran.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at first to the north of the isle of arran, becoming moderate or rough later in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, veering west or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in sheltered east, becoming moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in central areas, occasionally rough later near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering north or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in central areas, rough near entrances, occasionally very rough later near southern entrance.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest for a time, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering north or northwest, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing south 4 to 6, veering west later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight at times in sheltered east, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, but poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 11 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Tuesday 12 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A ridge topples across Shetland waters this afternoon with a front pushing east early Tuesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4 at first in east, otherwise southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 increasing 5 to 7, veering westerly 4 or 5 later in west
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in well sheltered eastern waters, becoming rough later in west
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Tuesday 12 May until 1800 UTC on Tuesday 12 May
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7 at first in east, otherwise westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough but slight in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Rain then showers
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 2 for a time overnight, increasing 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, clearing by midnight a risk of mist patches near the french coast on Tuesday morning.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate at first perhaps locally poor Tuesday morning.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5, increasing 5 to 6 by dawn on Wednesday.
- Sea state
- Slight, increasing rather rough to rough around midday.
- Weather
- Scattered showers from dawn.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally 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.
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