Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure remains slow-moving over Scandinavia, with strong winds affecting some eastern and southern waters of the United Kingdom. During Wednesday strong winds become confined to southern waters, with an increasing risk of English Channel gales.
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
- Southeasterly, veering southerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far northwest, becoming smooth later in inner Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain at first in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast, backing east, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 near berwick-upon-tweed.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast, backing east, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first in far south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in far south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly, backing northeasterly, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers later in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later in east.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 3 to 5, backing northeast 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers at first in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, backing northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, rain at first in far west.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East, backing northeast, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast, veering east, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the Firth of Clyde.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in shelter.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East, veering southeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain and drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain and drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 23 Dec 2025 at 0600 UTC until Tuesday 23 Dec 2025 at 1800 UTC
General situation
High pressure over Scandinavia maintains a strong south or southeasterly flow over Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southeast 5 or 6
- Sea state
- Mainly rough, but moderate just northwest of shetland
- Weather
- Rain at times
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Tuesday 23 Dec until 0600 UTC on Wednesday 24 Dec
- Wind
- Southerly 5 or 6 decreasing 4 or 5 but becoming variable 2 to 4 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Rain at times
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4, backing northeast 4 to 5 this afternoon, increasing 5 to 6 by dusk, then 6 to 7 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough this evening, increasing rough mid-channel later.
- Weather
- Patchy rain at times, clearing westwards this afternoon chance of mist patches at first near the french coast.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate, perhaps locally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 6 to 7 with gusts to 45kt, increasing gale 8 with gusts to 55kt in the north and west overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate in the southeast, rather rough to rough elsewhere, increasing very rough mid-channel later.
- Weather
- Patchy rain and sleet spreading westwards after midnight, with snow likely later in the south close to the french coast.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate to poor later, mainly in the south.
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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