Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
An area of high pressure will dominate today to bring lighter winds and fair weather for a time to most places, but rain, perhaps thundery is expected in the southeast. It will turn more unsettled again through Tuesday with a band of heavy rain spreading into the west and gales are expected for a time in the west and northwest.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 28 Sep 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Tue 29 Sep 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5, then southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough until later in northwest, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in south, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in south, then backing southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate until later in north and smooth in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Fair, rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 2 or 3, backing east 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth until later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East veering southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor for a time.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 3 or 4, then veering easterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth until later.
- Weather
- Rain at times, perhaps thundery for a time in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly veering southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, veering easterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth until later.
- Weather
- Rain, perhaps thundery for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly veering southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east 2 to 4, veering east or southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast veering south later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in east, but increasing 6 to gale 8 in west, veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough or very rough in west, then moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 in west, veering southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later, occasionally 3 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south and later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south and west, veering southerly, 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south or southeast, 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering south later, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first and later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast, 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6, increasing 6 or 7, veering south or southeast 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, building moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Fair, heavy rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest backing southeast, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east and south.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
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 southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 in North Channel, veering southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in northeast, elsewhere slight or moderate, but becoming moderate or rough for a time in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first, veering south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east and very rough for a time in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6, then southeasterly 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near southern entrance, smooth at times northeast of skye.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth northeast of skye, becoming moderate or rough later in south.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly, 4 to 6, then southeasterly 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight near Sutherland.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight later east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Occasionally showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Monday 28 Sep 2026 at 0600 UTC until Monday 28 Sep 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A southwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters, with high pressure building to the south through Monday and the flow turning southerly
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate east of shetland.
- Weather
- Occasional showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 28 Sep until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 29 Sep
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 backing southeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers at first then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 3, soon increasing 3 to 4, perhaps locally 5 at times, veering east to southeast after midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in the south and east of the area, perhaps heavier at times, clearing around dusk.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 4, soon increasing 4 to 5, backing south to southwest after midnight, perhaps locally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers rain spreading from the west by dusk, perhaps heavy.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally 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.
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