Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure centred over the Atlantic will bring a generally light to moderate northerly flow to the inshore waters, but winds will increase for some northern and eastern waters. The weather will continue mainly fair in most areas, although isolated showers may develop at times mainly for northeastern parts.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 17 Jul 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 18 Jul 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Rattray Head, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Rattray Head, but mainly variable 2 to 4 in southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near Rattray Head and near Berwick upon Tweed.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in north, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough at times.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first and 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough at times in north.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 throughout in north, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Fair then showers in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly at first in south, otherwise northerly or northwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic, mainly northeasterly, 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, then northeast later, 3 to 5, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly northerly 3 to 5 until later in west, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate west of land's end.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5 until later in west, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 to 5 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or 4 later near Anglesey.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic, becoming mainly northwesterly for a time, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later except in far west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near Mull of Galloway.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first except in far west, otherwise northerly or northwesterly becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Galloway.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, veering north or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in far south, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in northeast, veering northeasterly 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in far south, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- 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
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later in North Channel, but elsewhere mainly smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in southeast, otherwise northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight to the east of islay and jura.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in central areas and moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, backing northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 17 Jul 2026 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 18 Jul 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
An area of high pressure will persist to the west of Scotland while low pressure develops over southern Scandinavia.
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 18 Jul until 1200 UTC on Saturday 18 Jul
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming mainly moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest or variable 2 to 3, locally 4, becoming northeast north of jersey Saturday afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 3 in the south of the area at first, becoming generally northeast by evening, occasionally 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- A risk of mist patches in the north and west.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate to 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.
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