Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A ridge of high pressure extending south across the United Kingdom will give predominantly fine weather with generally light or moderate breezes, but strengthening at times mainly across the far south and far north.

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
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, veering easterly later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north and later in east.
Weather
Showers in northeast.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly veering southeasterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later except in Firth of Forth.
Weather
Fog patches developing in Firth of Forth.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in Firth of Forth.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East veering south or southeast, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Firth of Forth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast becoming variable, then northeast later, 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 2 or 3, veering south or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight becoming moderate.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Fog patches developing near shore.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor near shore.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northeast 3 or 4, veering southeast 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate in north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in the wash and in south.
Weather
Fog patches developing near shore.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor near shore.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable becoming easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first and smooth later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
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 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable becoming easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight occasionally moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in far west.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east 3 to 5 for a time in Bristol Channel.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel and moderate at first in far west.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in far southwest.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable, mainly east at first, 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in north and moderate near St Davids Head.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time, occasionally 6 for a time in Liverpool Bay.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight occasionally moderate for a time.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth occasionally slight.
Weather
Showers later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times later.
Sea state
Smooth.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth, becoming slight for a time in North Channel.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable mainly east, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south and east.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable becoming south or southeast, then veering southwest later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in far north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise northeasterly veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate in north.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in south.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate west of the Outer Hebrides and later in far north.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise easterly veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in south.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest veering north, 4 to 6, veering northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

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

Valid Friday 24 Apr 2026 at 1800 UTC until Saturday 25 Apr 2026 at 0600 UTC

General situation

A ridge of high pressure covers Shetland Waters. This ridge briefly declines on Friday night as a weak trough sinks south over the area.

Forecast

Wind
Northwesterly veering northerly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight in southwest at first. occasionally rough in northeast.
Weather
Light showers.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Saturday 25 Apr until 1800 UTC on Saturday 25 Apr

Wind
Northerly 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Light showers at first.
Visibility
Mainly good.

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East to northeast 4 to 5, decreasing 2 to 4 by dawn.
Sea state
Locally moderate to rather rough at first in the northwest, otherwise smooth to slight with a low swell.
Weather
Fair or fine.
Visibility
Good or very good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East to northeast, 2 to 4, locally 5 in the north of the area after midday.
Sea state
Smooth to slight, locally moderate later.
Weather
Fair or fine.
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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