Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

The United Kingdom remains in a southerly or southeasterly airflow during the next 48 hours, with most parts having either rain or showers. There will also be some mist or fog patches at first, mainly in the east. A developing low in the Southwest Approaches will bring strong winds and gales at times here into Tuesday.

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)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times in Moray Firth, occasionally 6 later in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, elsewhere mainly slight or moderate, but becoming moderate or rough later in north.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east and in Moray Firth.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough in north, slight or moderate in south.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in west and poor in east.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in shelter, occasionally moderate later in east.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north and poor in south.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 3 or less at first in east, otherwise cyclonic becoming southerly 5 to 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay but becoming rough or very rough later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain, but becoming fair for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering southwesterly 4 to 6 for a time.
Sea state
Slight at first in lyme bay, otherwise moderate or rough, but rough or very rough in west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then southeasterly 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in Bristol Channel, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in west.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 in west at first, decreasing 5 for a time.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, mainly moderate or rough in west, but occasionally very rough in far west.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers or rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west, but occasionally very rough later near st david's head.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate at times in northwest.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in north, then occasionally rough later in northwest.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in east.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering southwest 3 or 4 for a time later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate for a time.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, increasing 7 or gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough, then moderate later.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in far north.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate at first except in far north, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

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 southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in shelter.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far north.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly, 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in far north, elsewhere mainly slight or moderate, but becoming rough later in North Channel.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight just east and north of skye, but elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast, 4 to 6, backing east or southeast, 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east and north and rough in west and south.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast, 4 to 6, backing east or southeast, 6 to gale 8 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough to the west of the Outer Hebrides but moderate or rough further east.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Rain at times.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

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

Strong wind warning

Valid Monday 19 Jan 2026 at 0600 UTC until Monday 19 Jan 2026 at 1800 UTC

General situation

High pressure over Scandinavia and low pressure to the west of the UK will maintain a south or southeast airflow over Shetland Waters.

Forecast

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in east
Sea state
Moderate or rough becoming rough or very rough
Weather
Rain or showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 19 Jan until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 20 Jan

Wind
South or southeast 5 to 7
Sea state
Rough or very rough
Weather
Rain or showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly 2 to 3, increasing 3 to 4 by midday, then 4 to 5 by dusk, perhaps occasionally 6 in the west later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell.
Weather
Rain, drizzle, mist and a risk of fog patches, clearing by evening isolated showers in the west of the area from dusk.
Visibility
Moderate or good, locally poor or perhaps very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South to southeast 4 to 5, increasing 6 to 7 by midday, veering south to southwest 4 to 5 for a time overnight.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, increasing moderate to rather rough, locally rough mid-channel for a time.
Weather
A risk of mist patches occasional rain from dusk.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally 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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