Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure centred to the southwest of the British Isles will bring a good deal of fine and settled weather to southern waters. Further north conditions will be more unsettled as a westerly flow brings Atlantic fronts and outbreaks of rain or drizzle at times.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Sun 5 Jul 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Mon 6 Jul 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming cyclonic 2 to 4, then becoming west or southwest 4 or 5 later except near Orkney.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first near Orkney, otherwise west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 4 to 6 except in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in south, becoming variable 3 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming west or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 becoming west 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally variable 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times in far east.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in east, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 becoming variable 3 or less, then southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 for a time at first except in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north, becoming variable 2 at times near Cornwall.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary, becoming variable 2 at times near Cornwall.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, mainly in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in north and moderate in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest at first in Liverpool Bay, otherwise west or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in far north, becoming variable 2 at times in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times except in far north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, becoming variable 3 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally variable 3 at first in north, increasing 6 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight just north and east of Skye, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight just north and east of Skye, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally variable 3 at first in north, increasing 6 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in south.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches developing.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the west of the Outer Hebrides but slight or moderate further east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, west and south but smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 05 Jul 2026 at 1200 UTC until Monday 06 Jul 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure covering Shetland waters at first, then Atlantic frontal system slowly approaching from the south later.
Forecast
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in far north, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north and west, slight in southeast, but smooth in shelter east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Monday 06 Jul until 1200 UTC on Monday 06 Jul
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate in north and west, slight in southeast, but smooth in shelter east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Fair in north, occasional rain in south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in south.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 3, locally 4 mid-channel at first, backing southwest to south overnight, becoming variable 1 to 2 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches Monday morning, mainly near the French coast.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 1 to 2, becoming north 2 to 4 by late afternoon, backing northwest 2 to 3 by dusk, locally variable 1 to 2.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches, mainly near the French coast overnight.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very 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.
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