Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure over the United Kingdom will gradually move eastward during this period, keeping conditions largely settled through Friday and most of Saturday. Later on Saturday, however, Atlantic fronts will begin to approach from the west, bringing outbreaks of rain and strengthening winds.
Issued at:
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period to
Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast, 2 to 4, veering south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the north and west of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first, showers later in east.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time in west, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers at first in east.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 2 to 4, veering south or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, icy moderate later in far north.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle or showers mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west, veering southeasterly later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast veering east, then southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, veering south 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 3 or 4, veering southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Lands End and later St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast for a time, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain at times later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later south of arran.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good becoming moderate or poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle or showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in south and west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle or showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in southwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 17 Oct 2025 at 0600 UTC until Friday 17 Oct 2025 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A high will drift east through Shetland waters through Friday
Forecast
- Wind
- North 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight in south
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 17 Oct until 0600 UTC on Saturday 18 Oct
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight in south
- Weather
- Showers later
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East 3 to 4, perhaps 5 in the west of the area, especially later, veering southeast 4 to 5 by midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of light showers in the far north.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 5, veering south 5 to 6 by Sunday morning, perhaps locally 7.
- Sea state
- Slight, increasing moderate to rather rough in the west later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle spreading from the west after midnight, perhaps locally heavy.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate later, perhaps locally poor.
The 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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