Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
The United Kingdom will continue to lie in a cool and showery north to northwesterly airflow during Friday. Atlantic fronts will then move in from the west during the weekend bringing some outbreaks of rain and less cool conditions.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 15 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 16 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east, decreasing 3 to 5 later, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later in southwest.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near north Orkney and Rattray Head, becoming slight or moderate in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5 at first in northeast, otherwise variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in far north, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in Firth of Forth, elsewhere moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Firth of Forth, slight or moderate elsewhere.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southeast 4 or 5, then veering west or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight at times.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west 3 to 5, then becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near northeast Norfolk, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Thames estuary, but elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near northeast Norfolk.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers then rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west, occasionally rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Rain 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
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, becoming variable, then southwesterly, 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain 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
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west or northwest for a time, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing west or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Mull of Galloway.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south for a time at first, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4, backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southwest 4 or 5, then veering west 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in northeast, becoming variable, mainly southerly, 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering westerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in far north and slight or moderate later elsewhere.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel, backing southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly, veering westerly for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate near Mull of Kintyre and occasionally moderate later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east, becoming rough later in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north, but occasionally rough until later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in south and rough until later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 5 or 6, then 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 15 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 16 May 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Low pressure over southern Scandinavia moves south over the North Sea and maintains a north or northwesterly airstream over Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 16 May until 1200 UTC on Saturday 16 May
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6 decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 by evening, decreasing 3 to 4 by dawn, backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, veering west to northwest after midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight, increasing slight to moderate.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, perhaps merging into rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.
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.