Coast and sea
General situation
A mainly moderate or strong southerly or southwesterly flow will continue to affect many coasts this evening, with showers in the northwest and a slow moving band of rain further south, edging eastwards and clearing to the east tomorrow morning. A transient ridge of high pressure will follow, ahead of a strengthening southerly flow, which will bring gales and rain to many northern and western waters by Wednesday.
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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in far northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in inner Moray Firth, but rough or very rough to the north and west of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers in northwest, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in northwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, backing southerly 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough in northwest, occasionally very rough in far northwest and smooth in inner Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Thundery showers in northwest, then rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Rain at first in far south, otherwise mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in Firth of Forth, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, backing south 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then west 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, backing south 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northerly or northwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the wash and Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 for a time in south, backing southerly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fog patches, then occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally very poor, becoming good occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west, veering northerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain at first in east and later in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 7, veering westerly 3 or 4, then northerly later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North backing southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate later in west.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, then variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate except in far west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first in east, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate at first in east, becoming very rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northwest 3 or 4, then variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Rain at first in east, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, increasing 7 or gale 8 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate at first in east, becoming very rough later in far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest backing southwest later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first in east, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor at first in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west or southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at first in south, otherwise mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, increasing south or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain spreading from the west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in far north.
- Weather
- Showers in far northwest.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers in northwest, then rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 2 to 4, backing southwesterly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at first to the northeast of isle of arran, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in sheltered southeast.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 7 or gale 8, veering southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate at first in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in southern entrance.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, backing south 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, backing south 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, rain or drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough, but moderate in sheltered east and occasionally very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Monday 15 Dec 2025 at 1800 UTC until Tuesday 16 Dec 2025 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Complex low to the south of Iceland with associated troughs moving into Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Tuesday 16 Dec until 1800 UTC on Tuesday 16 Dec
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 5 to 6, occasionally 7, veering northwest 3 to 4 by midnight, further veering north to northeast by dawn, perhaps occasionally 5 in the south of the area.
- Sea state
- Rather rough in the north of the area until midnight, otherwise slight to moderate, decreasing smooth or slight later, with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Occasional rain risk of mist patches overnight, mainly near french coasts.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northeast 3 to 4, decreasing 2 to 3 by midnight, backing southwest 3 to 4 by dawn and south 6 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell, increasing moderate to rather rough later.
- Weather
- Rain in the east of the area at first and in the west later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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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