Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A deep low to the west of Iceland will combine with a ridge of high pressure over the Continent to keep a west to southwest flow across the United Kingdom during the coming days.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Thu 1 Oct 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 2 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 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time at first on the moray coast, then veering west 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4 increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later in north.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, backing west 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasional moderate in north.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 2 to 4, backing southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, veering westerly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- West of the Lizard peninsula, rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough, elsewhere, moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering west 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first west of Lands End, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west and smooth on inner Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in west, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west and smooth on inner bristol.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate and later poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough occasionally slight in north.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, veering northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Liverpool Bay, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasional moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering west or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Liverpool Bay, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, veering west or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west 4 or 5, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
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 southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering westerly 4 or 5, backing southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time near the Mull of Galloway.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in northwest and slight thoughout in east.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in west, slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasional poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate near Sutherland.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasional poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first, then showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor and very poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Thursday 01 Oct 2026 at 1200 UTC until Friday 02 Oct 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Low pressure northwest of the UK maintains a south or southwesterly flow over Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and fog patches at first in northeast, otherwise fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor or very poor at first in northeast.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Friday 02 Oct until 1200 UTC on Friday 02 Oct
- Wind
- South 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough in northwest, moderate in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 to 4, backing southwest soon after dusk, locally variable 1 to 3 in the southeast of the area, generally becoming south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a moderate swell gradually decreasing.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 1 to 3 by dusk.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very 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.