Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
An area of low pressure moves northeast over northern France whilst a front across England and Wales moves southeast bringing rain and showers, and also strengthening northerly or northwesterly winds to many central and southern waters. A cooler showery airflow across northern waters, will spread southeast through Wednesday. A brief ridge of high pressure will move east early on Thursday before further unsettled conditions spread east from the Atlantic.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Wed 7 Oct 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Thu 8 Oct 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, smooth or slight in Moray Firth, slight or moderate elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest backing south or southeast, then veering southwest later, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, slight or moderate elsewhere, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later except in far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest backing south or southwest, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first in south, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, backing south or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, backing west 3 or 4, then southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain at times, perhaps thundery, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly, backing southwesterly later, 5 to 7, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, perhaps thundery, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, backing southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except near shore.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4, backing southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later near shore, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far west, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in east, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5 at first in far east, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in south.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing westerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North backing northwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first in north, becoming slight or moderate except in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing south or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, backing southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing south 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in sheltered north, otherwise slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 to 7, veering westerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, backing south or southeast 6 or 7, veering west 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later in south.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth or slight in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, backing southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, veering westerly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near southern entrance.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight near canna.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, backing southerly or southeasterly 5 to 7, veering westerly later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming north or northwest, 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in shelter to the east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 07 Oct 2026 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 07 Oct 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A shallow area of low pressure will move east, just to the north of Shetland waters, through Wednesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest 2 or 3, occasionally 4 at first
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 07 Oct until 0600 UTC on Thursday 08 Oct
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 or 3 increasing 4 or 5
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 5, locally 6, increasing 5 to 6 after midday, locally 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, increasing rather rough to rough after midday, decreasing moderate to rather rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, locally heavy with a risk of thunder at first, becoming isolated by evening.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 5 to 6, decreasing 4 to 5 by midday, backing west around dusk, increasing 5 to 6 by midnight.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, soon decreasing slight to moderate with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough later.
- Weather
- Risk of showers at first rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.
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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