Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A moist southwesterly flow will affect northern and western waters on Thursday and Friday, as high pressure slowly builds from the near Continent. High pressure and much warmer conditions will become dominant across all but the north of Scotland by Friday evening.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 21 May 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 22 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, veering southwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5, then veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 or 4, backing southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly, then backing easterly or southeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming smooth later in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, then east or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first offshore, otherwise slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, becoming variable later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in shelter.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near Isles of Scilly, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Lyme Bay.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at first, fog patches at first in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, fog patches later in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later in west.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle and fog patches, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then occasional drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing east or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Liverpool Bay.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then occasional drizzle, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 5 or 6, then backing southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle and fog patches, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, backing southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, backing southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, backing southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough at first near Tiree, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in north.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Thursday 21 May 2026 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 21 May 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A low to the northwest of Scotland will slowly fill with a southerly or southwesterly airstream over Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in shelter to the east of shetland.
- Weather
- A few showers at first. Otherwise mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 21 May until 0000 UTC on Friday 22 May
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in shelter to the east of shetland.
- Weather
- Rain and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southeast 1 to 3, backing east to northeast Thursday morning, backing northeast 2 to 4 early afternoon, perhaps 5 mid-channel for a time in the evening, veering southeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches into the afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4, veering southeast to south overnight, becoming easterly or variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good.
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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.