Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A cold front with clear southwards as a brief ridge of high pressure builds from the west. Strong winds affecting some coastlines, mainly in the east, will slowly ease through Monday. Further fronts will then move southeastwards during Tuesday on a strengthening northwesterly flow, with strong winds developing in the west.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 11 May 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Tue 12 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then west or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later in northwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, elsewhere slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near Berwick upon Tweed.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering northwest, 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5, backing west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, backing west or southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, veering northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, backing westerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Thames estuary, slight or moderate elsewhere.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly veering northerly or northeasterly, 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first in east, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in Bristol Channel, decreasing 2 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in Bristol Channel, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, then rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing west later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming northwest, then backing west later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, veering north or northeast 3 or 4, backing northwest, then west later, 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time and again later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast backing northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, backing west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north, becoming rough or very rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally later.
- 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
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, backing northwesterly 3 to 5, then westerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel and smooth elsewhere.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first, becoming rough at times later near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast backing west or southwest, 3 to 5, veering northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east and rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east, becoming rough or very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest, veering north later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight between barra and canna and rough later elsewhere.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest, veering north later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming very rough later to the west of the Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, backing west 2 to 4, then south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times in east, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 11 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Monday 11 May 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A ridge topples across Shetland waters on Monday ahead of a front crossing east in the evening and overnight.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5 backing northwesterly, then southwesterly in west, 3 or 4
- Sea state
- Rough at first in north, otherwise moderate, but slight in well-sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 11 May until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 12 May
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4 at first in east. otherwise southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, veering westerly 4 or 5 in west later
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in well-sheltered eastern waters. increasing rough in west later
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 5, then backing northwest for a time, veering south to southeast 2 to 3 later, locally variable 1 to 3.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth to slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers in the north later, clearing by midnight.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southwest 2 to 3, locally variable 1 to 2, veering west to northwest 3 to 4 by midday, increasing 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches Wednesday morning, mainly near the french coast.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate to 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.
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