Coast and Sea

Inshore waters and strong winds


General situation

A weakening frontal system will continue to move steadily eastwards tonight, to be followed by a cool and showery westerly flow.

Issued at: .

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sat 16 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 17 May 2026

Inshore waters and strong winds map


Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
Weather
Fair at first, then rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Rain at first, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
Weather
Showers, fair later in north.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at first, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable becoming south 2 to 4, then backing southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at first, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 2 to 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly veering southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
Weather
Rain at first, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first, thundery showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at first, the showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 4 or 5, veering northwest 3 or 4 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at first, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery for a time, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough near Isles of Scilly.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later near Isles of Scilly.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in far west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 3 or 4, then backing south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in far west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first, rain later in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4, veering northwest 4 or 5, then backing southwest 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 5 or 6, veering west 2 to 4, then backing south 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first, rain later in southwest.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest veering west 3 to 5, then backing southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate.
Weather
Rain at first, thundery showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 1 to 3, then southeast 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first, and occasionally smooth later.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle at first, showers later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, veering northwest 3 or 4, then backing south 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
Weather
Showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
Weather
Thundery showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest backing southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Showers, thundery later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Showers, thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic becoming west 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough in west.
Weather
Rain at first, then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 1 to 3, becoming southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near Skye.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable, becoming east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near Skye.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable, becoming east or southeast later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 1 to 3, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight east of Shetland.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Valid Saturday 16 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Sunday 17 May 2026 at 0600 UTC

General situation

A complex and shallow area of low pressure will cover Shetland Waters over the weekend.

Forecast

Wind
North or northwest becoming cyclonic 2 to 4
Sea state
Moderate
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Sunday 17 May until 1800 UTC on Sunday 17 May

Wind
Cyclonic becoming southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in southeast
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough later in west
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 5, veering west to northwest by midnight, decreasing 3 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate.
Weather
Showers, merging into rain at times, perhaps locally heavy.
Visibility
Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly 4 to 5, occasionally 3, backing south to southwest 3 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight with a low swell developing, locally moderate in the north and west.
Weather
Isolated showers at first patchy rain spreading in from the northwest overnight.
Visibility
Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.

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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