Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

The United Kingdom will lie in a mainly southeasterly airflow during the next 24 hours, with many places having either 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
South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less in Moray Firth.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers, becoming fair in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally variable 2 in Moray Firth but increasing 6 for a time later near Cape Wrath.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, but occasionally rough later in north.
Weather
Rain at times in east.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in east.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north, becoming variable 2 at times in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time in south.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less except in far north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time at first.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
Weather
Rain at times, mainly later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 2 to 4, veering south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in far north.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then decreasing 2 at times.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first in north and smooth later in south.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly for a time, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain, mainly in north, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first and 2 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Rain at times, mainly at first in north, fog patches in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate at first in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly veering southeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast, backing northeast for a time, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair then occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly in east, 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Rough at first from Lizard Point westwards, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain in east.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east but rough later to the west of Land's End.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable 3 or less except near Pembrokeshire.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain in east.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 or 4 in west, variable 3 or less in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east but becoming rough later near Cornwall.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor in east.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west, becoming variable 2 at times in Cardigan Bay, Caernarfon Bay and to the east of Anglesey.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in north.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west, becoming variable 2 at times in Cardigan Bay, Caernarfon Bay and to the east of Anglesey.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in west.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or northeast 2 to 4 in Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth, but elsewhere southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Showers, then rain later in east.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in Liverpool Bay.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast in Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth, but elsewhere east or southeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in northwest.
Weather
Rain at times, mainly in east.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5 backing east or southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first, increasing 6 at times later in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, then decreasing 3 at times.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers then mainly fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

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 2 to 4 at first in far north, otherwise southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in North Channel.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, backing easterly 2 or 3 later in far north.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 2 to 4 veering south or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time in north, then backing easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, then occasionally very rough later near western Tiree.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first, then increasing 5 or 6 later in west and south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west and south, smooth or slight in east and north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6 becoming cyclonic 6 or 7, then south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
To the south and west of Skye, slight or moderate, occasionally rough later, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first, then increasing 5 or 6 later except in far north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight near Sutherland.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6 becoming cyclonic 6 or 7, then south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first near Sutherland but becoming rough or very rough later elsewhere.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in east.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Valid Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 1800 UTC until Sunday 18 Jan 2026 at 0600 UTC

General situation

High pressure over Scandinavia and low pressure to the west of the UK will maintain a southeast airflow over Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later
Sea state
Moderate
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Sunday 18 Jan until 1800 UTC on Sunday 18 Jan

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6
Sea state
Moderate, becoming rough later in east
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East to southeast 2 to 3, backing northeast 3 to 4 around midnight, veering east to southeast again by dawn, decreasing 2 to 3 by midday.
Sea state
Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell.
Weather
Rain and drizzle from around midnight, likely dying out by midday, then occasional mist or fog patches, mainly near the French coast.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor or perhaps very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East to southeast 2 to 3, veering southeast to south 3 to 4 by dawn Monday, perhaps occasionally 5 near Alderney later.
Sea state
Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell.
Weather
Patchy rain or drizzle, with mist and a risk of fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate, occasionally good, locally poor or perhaps very poor.

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.

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.

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