Coast and Sea

Inshore waters and strong winds


General situation

A cool and showery westerly flow lies across the United Kingdom with strong winds around some coasts in the southwest. An Atlantic frontal system will bring rain late on Monday and into Tuesday, followed by showers, with strong winds developing around many coastlines.

Issued at: .

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 17 May 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 May 2026

Inshore waters and strong winds map


Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near Firth of Forth, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate until later in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest becoming cyclonic, 3 to 5, becoming south 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South 2 to 4, backing southeast 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Fair then showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 3 or 4, becoming variable, then south or southwest later, 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 2 to 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in northeast.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time near North Foreland.
Sea state
Slight occasionally moderate.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest, backing south for a time, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest, backing west or southwest, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough in far west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest, backing south for a time, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
Weather
Rain at times, showers later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 3 to 5, backing westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in west.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly backing southerly or southwesterly, 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time at first in north.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in southwest.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first, rain for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 4 or 5, backing southwest 4 to 6, then veering west 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near St Davids Head and smooth later in far north.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West becoming variable, 2 to 4, then becoming south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
Weather
Showers, rain for a time.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly backing southwesterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in south, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight occasionally moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers at first, rain later.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest backing southwest, 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate for a time in south.
Weather
Fair then showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest backing south or southeast, 2 to 4, backing southeast 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Fair, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West or southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate in far north, otherwise slight, occasionally smooth later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first except in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Moderate near Mull of Kintyre, otherwise slight, occasionally smooth in northeast.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but mainly smooth or slight near skye.
Weather
Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight occasionally moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Slight or moderate near Sutherland, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Occasional rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 5 or 6 later, occasionally 7 later in south.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight near Sutherland and rough later in south.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight at first east of Shetland.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Valid Sunday 17 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Sunday 17 May 2026 at 1800 UTC

General situation

A complex and shallow area of low pressure will cover Shetland Waters on Sunday.

Forecast

Wind
Cyclonic 2 or 3, becoming south or southeast 4 or 5
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Sunday 17 May until 0600 UTC on Monday 18 May

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in west
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
West to northwest 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 early afternoon, backing southwest later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate, with low swell developing.
Weather
Occasional showers, perhaps locally heavy later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West to southwest 3 to 4, occasionally 5, backing south during the afternoon, increasing 5 to 6 in the evening, locally 7, veering southwest 4 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight to moderate with a low swell.
Weather
Showers at first rain from evening, locally heavy, clearing later.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate to poor for a time.

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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