Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A filling low centred to the northwest of Scotland will give a cool and showery westerly flow across the British Isles. Later on Monday, a new Atlantic frontal system will arrive in the southwest, with its associated strong winds and rain expected to spread northeastwards on Tuesday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Sun 17 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain at first in north, otherwise showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 2 to 4, then backing east or southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East 3 or 4, veering southeast 4 or 5, then increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first in south, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south 2 to 4, then backing southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first, and occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming south or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, backing southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming southerly or southwesterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, veering westerly 3 or 4, then backing southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly 3 or 4, then veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, buit rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 or 6, then veering southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming mainly smooth later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north, then veering southerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, backing southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in North Channel, then veering southerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 1 to 3, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near Tiree.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near skye.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near skye.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far southwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 17 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Monday 18 May 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A complex and shallow area of low pressure will cover Shetland Waters on Sunday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough in west. occasionally slight just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Monday 18 May until 1200 UTC on Monday 18 May
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in west. slight just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 3 to 4, locally 5 mid-channel, backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, with low swell developing.
- Weather
- Occasional showers, perhaps locally heavy later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 4, occasionally 5 mid-channel, backing south during the afternoon, increasing 5 to 6 in the evening, veering southwest 4 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell.
- Weather
- Showers at first rain from evening, locally heavy, clearing later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate to poor for a time.
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.