Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
The United Kingdom lies in a cool westerly airflow with showers at first in the north. Winds will back southerly for a time on Thursday as rain sweeps eastwards with strong winds. Friday remains showery in the north, but elsewhere it will become brighter away from the south coast, where fog patches and low cloud will linger.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 11 Jun 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 12 Jun 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south or southeast for a time, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first near Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough west of Orkney, becoming smooth or slight later in east.
- 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, backing south or southeast for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south or southeast for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times mainly in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 3 or 4, backing southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times mainly in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 4 or 5, backing southwesterly 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, veering westerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west later, 5 or 6, decreasing 4 at times near shore.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 5 to 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later except in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, backing southwest 5 to 7, then veering west 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, then decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west later, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, fog patches in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, or very poor in south.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing south or southwest, veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, backing south for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle in the south for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south, then veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north, elsewhere smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- 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
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southerly, then veering westerly, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southeast, then veering west or southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain at times, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast, veering west or southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at first north of skye.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast, veering west or southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in south and west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in south and west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south or southeast later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 11 Jun 2026 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 11 Jun 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Low pressure to the north of Shetland drives a west to southwest flow over Shetland Waters. A trough crosses Shetland Waters later giving a southerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 11 Jun until 0000 UTC on Friday 12 Jun
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery, then mainly fair for a time. Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 4 to 5, backing southwest shortly after dawn, soon increasing 5 to 6, occasionally 7 mid-channel, decreasing 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell, increasing rather rough to rough in the northwest by midday.
- Weather
- Patchy rain or drizzle spreading southeast by dawn, coastal mist or fog later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- Patchy rain or drizzle with coastal mist and fog.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor or very poor.
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.