Coast and Sea

Inshore waters and strong winds


General situation

A slack airflow covers much of the United Kingdom, with only light or moderate breezes affecting most English and Welsh coastal areas. Further north an area of low pressure over the northeastern Atlantic will give rise to fresh or strong south to southwesterly winds.

Issued at: .

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 7 May 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 8 May 2026

Inshore waters and strong winds map


Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, veering south or southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, elsewhere mainly slight or moderate, but occasionally rough later in north.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly veering westerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming variable mainly northwesterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough to the west and north of Orkney and smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain, then showers in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth, increasing 6 at times later in north, and also in far south.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming variable 3 or less, then northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in south.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South, backing southeast for a time later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 3 or 4 backing southeast 2 to 4, then becoming variable later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly at first in south, otherwise southeasterly, 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first and 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first, and also again later in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate at first in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northeasterly 3 or 4 veering easterly 2 or 3, then southeasterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first and smooth later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly backing easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northeasterly 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then easterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near North Foreland.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable becoming southeast, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight.
Weather
Mainly fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 2 in The Solent.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in east, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in east and north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later near western Anglesey.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then northeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly, veering southerly or southwesterly later, 3 to 5, but becoming variable 3 or less for a time in Liverpool Bay.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less, then north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4 veering south or southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then north 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then northerly 4 or 5 later, occasionally 6 later in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight until later in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5 veering southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Mainly fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 3 or 4 veering westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, then northerly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except near the Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly, veering southwesterly later, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east and rough later near western Tiree.
Weather
Mainly fair then occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 3 to 5 veering northwest 3 or 4, then north 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east and rough at first near western Tiree.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth to the east of Skye.
Weather
Rain at times, then showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6 veering northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in central and southern areas.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 at first in far north, otherwise southerly veering southwesterly, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times, then showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6 veering northwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate between Barra and Canna, but elsewhere moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming south or southeast 5 to 7.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Valid Thursday 07 May 2026 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 07 May 2026 at 1200 UTC

General situation

Atlantic low will drift slowly northeast towards the Faeroes, pushing associated fronts across Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind
Variable 2 to 4 becoming south or southeast 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight just southeast of Shetland at first, and rough in northwest later.
Weather
Rain
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 07 May until 0000 UTC on Friday 08 May

Wind
South 5 to 7.
Sea state
Moderate in south and east at first, otherwise mainly rough.
Weather
Rain at times
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate or poor

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East to southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Isolated showers, risk of mist or fog patches near the French coast at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor or very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 2 to 4, veering south to southwest by dawn, becoming variable 1 to 3 by midday and northeast to east 4 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Isolated showers at first, risk of mist or fog patches near the French coast overnight.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor or very poor at first.

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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