Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A filling low centred to the northwest of Scotland will give a cool and showery westerly flow across the British Isles. Later on Monday, a new Atlantic frontal system will arrive in the southwest, with its associated strong winds and rain expected to spread northeastwards on Tuesday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 17 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers, but fair for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East 4 or 5, veering southeast 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later near Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north and east.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4, increasing 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, occasionally rough later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers at first in south, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 5 or 6, then veering southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, but rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southeasterly 5 or 6, then veering southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southeast 4 to 6, then veering southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West backing southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, then backing south later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first, becoming rough in far west.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, then backing south later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 3 or 4, then backing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest, 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming southeast later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first, becoming mainly smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4, increasing 5 to 7, then veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, backing southeast 5 to 7, then veering southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, backing southeast 5 to 7, then veering south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, backing southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in North Channel, then veering southerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in Firth of Clyde, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 3, becoming east or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in west, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7, then veering south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair at first, then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near Skye.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, veering southeast 4 to 6, then veering south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight near Skye.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming east or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 or 4, veering southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 near Barra, then veering south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 17 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Monday 18 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A complex and shallow area of low pressure will cover Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Mainly south or southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, but rough in west. slight just east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Monday 18 May until 1800 UTC on Monday 18 May
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate. slight just east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 3 to 4, locally 5, backing south to 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
- South 3 to 4, increasing 5 to 6 in the evening, veering southwest 4 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough in the north and west later.
- 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.
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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.