Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
An Atlantic low will move eastwards, towards the northwest of the British Isles, bringing strengthening winds and rain or showers.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Tue 19 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in Moray Firth, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in east, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwesterly 4 or 5 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 in east, occasionally 7 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first in Firth of Forth, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly, veering southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, but 5 or 6 at first in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but smooth or slight in Firth of Forth and occasionally rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering south, then southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly, veering southwesterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in southwest.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate until later in east.
- Weather
- Rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first near the Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South backing southeast for a time, veering southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southeast 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6, then veering southwest later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6, veering southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, decreasing 3 or 4 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- 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
- Southerly 3 to 5, backing southeasterly 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in the North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 for a time, veering south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in far west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, perhaps thundery later in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest, increasing 4 to 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough for a time in west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 for a time, occasionally 7 in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in central areas, slight or moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, veering south, 3 or 4, then southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near southern entrance.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 for a time, occasionally 7 in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, veering south, 3 or 4, then southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6, then 6 or 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Monday 18 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Tuesday 19 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Low pressure west of the UK maintains a southeasterly flow over Shetland Waters, extending an Atlantic trough over Shetland Waters later on Tuesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in southwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just east of shetland at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Tuesday 19 May until 1800 UTC on Tuesday 19 May
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 4 in far northeast at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but becoming rough in southwest later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 to 5, increasing 5 to 6 with gusts locally to 35kt overnight, veering southwest 4 to 5 later, perhaps locally 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate overnight, further increasing rather rough to rough in the northwest later.
- Weather
- Isolated showers rain spreading eastwards, locally heavy overnight, clearing to isolated showers around dawn, perhaps locally heavy later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6, veering west later, locally variable 1 to 3 in the south of the area.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell in the southeast, rather rough to rough elsewhere.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, dying out overnight perhaps occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally 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.