Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A front across central parts of the British Isles will continue to move southeastwards, as low pressure moves northeastwards over north France. These will bring rain and showers, and also strengthening northerly or northwesterly winds to many central and southern waters. A cooler showery airflow will continue to affect northern waters, spreading southeastwards through Wednesday. A brief ridge of high pressure will move east early on Thursday before further unsettled conditions spread east from the Atlantic.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Wed 7 Oct 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 8 Oct 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, veering northwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise slight, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth and moderate later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing west 2 to 4, then south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, slight or moderate elsewhere, occasionally rough at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest, backing south later, 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4, backing south 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest, backing south or southwest later, 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly easterly, 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north and later in south, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain at times, perhaps thundery, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, backing southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in east and slight in the wash and the Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, backing northerly 4 to 6, then northwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later in far east.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5, backing westerly or southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, backing north or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest, backing southwest later, 5 or 6, decreasing 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate offshore.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, backing north or northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest, backing southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in lyme bay, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in east, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough at times in far south.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first, becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, backing southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 or 4, then southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 to 5, backing northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first in north, becoming slight or moderate later except in far north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing west 2 to 4, then southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, backing west 3 or 4, then south or southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, backing south or southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south and rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, veering northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest backing south or southwest, 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4 for a time at first, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, becoming moderate or poor later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth just east of skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in shelter to the east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 07 Oct 2026 at 0000 UTC until Wednesday 07 Oct 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
An occasionally fresh, showery westerly then northwesterly airstream covers Shetland waters
Forecast
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5 decreasing 2 or 3
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Wednesday 07 Oct until 0000 UTC on Thursday 08 Oct
- Wind
- West or southwest veering northwest 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 5, soon backing north, locally 6 towards dawn, increasing 6 to 7 in the afternoon, decreasing 5 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, increasing slight to moderate by midday and rather rough to rough by dusk.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, locally heavy with a risk of thunder, dying out later.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 5 to 6, decreasing 4 to 5 by midday, backing west later.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, locally rough in the west at first, decreasing slight to moderate with a low swell in the afternoon.
- Weather
- Risk of showers at first rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.
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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