Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure will persist over the next few days with light winds and fair weather. However, a decaying cold front will bring rain, drizzle and fog patches to the northwest, before it clears on Tuesday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 24 May 2026 to 18:00 (UTC) on Mon 25 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5 for a time, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches in northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, veering west 4 to 6, then northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate or rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming west or northwest 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in northeast and later also in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northwest, veering east o northeast later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering northwest, 3 or 4, then northeast 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly, becoming variable, then northerly or northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in north and later also in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth, becoming slight in southwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth, but slight at first in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or southeast 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly east or southeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate in southwest and smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 2 or 3, becoming variable.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, settling north or northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming north or northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good, but poor or very poor at first in north.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 4 or less, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches at first in west.
- Visibility
- Good, but poor or very poor at first in west.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, but variable 4 or less in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle in north, fog patches later in north.
- Visibility
- Good, but moderate or poor, occasionally very poor later, in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in south, otherwise southwesterly veering northerly or northwesterly, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor, becoming good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth north of skye.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in central area.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor, becoming good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Drizzle with fog patches then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor, becoming good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 3 to 5, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight in east, otherwise moderate, becoming rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 24 May 2026 at 1800 UTC until Monday 25 May 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
A southwesterly flow will continue to affect Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Monday 25 May until 1800 UTC on Monday 25 May
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in southeast, moderate or rough in northwest
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, perhaps locally 5 at first, veering east to southeast overnight, locally variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 2 to 3, locally 4 at first and again later, becoming variable 1 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
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.