Coast and sea
General situation
Unsettled weather conditions will prevail across much of the United Kingdom into the weekend, as showers or longer spells of rain move in from the south and southwest. Some of these will be heavy and thundery, and fog patches will also affect some coastlines. Winds will be relatively light, but strong perhaps gale force winds will develop for a time on Sunday in the southwest.
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 until later in northwest and in Moray Firth, otherwise easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog banks developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but becoming variable 3 or less for a time, except in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog banks for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, backing northeasterly for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, fog banks developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time, increasing occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at times, fog banks at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East becoming cyclonic, then southeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers until later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth until later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later, thundery at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southeast, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers or rain, but becoming fair for a time, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers or thundery rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly, backing southeasterly for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, but becoming fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming cyclonic 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less for a time, becoming southwest 3 to 5, then backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Thundery rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering southwest for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 to 5, backing southeast 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering southwest, 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 for a time, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly becoming cyclonic, 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east 2 to 4 later, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, moderate later near st david's head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4, then variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate near st david's head.
- Weather
- Showers or rain, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 for a time, then variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly east 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly, 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog patches for a time in east.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later, fog patches for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor for a time.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers later in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 or 5 for a time in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first near Tiree, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly northeasterly until later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming mainly easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first and later in west, otherwise slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic mainly northeasterly until later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in far north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers, fog banks.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 19 Jul 2025 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 19 Jul 2025 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Shallow Atlantic low will drift northwards across Iceland and complex lows over the southern British Isles maintain a moist southeasterly airflow across Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers. Fog banks, mainly in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 19 Jul until 0000 UTC on Sunday 20 Jul
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers. Fog banks, mainly in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 3 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 after midday, then backing south to southeast 3 to 4 by evening, increasing 5 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell, increasing moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, locally heavy, and thundery in the southeast, clearing mid-morning further rain or showers spreading northeast from early evening.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 5 to 6, perhaps occasionally 7, veering southwest 4 to 5 by midday, perhaps locally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, but rather rough to rough in the northwest until early afternoon, becoming slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, locally heavy, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to 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.
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