Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A southerly or southwesterly flow will continue to affect the coastal waters during the next couple of days with outbreaks of rain and strong winds at times. However, a high pressure over the Continent will bring settled weather to the southeast from wednseday night and into Thursday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Wed 20 May 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 21 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in north, veering southerly 2 to 4, then southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery, fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, backing south 2 to 4, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in southwest and moderate at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 to 5, veering southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Rain then showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing southeast 2 or 3, increasing 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far west, becoming slight in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west and smooth later in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in southwest and smooth in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, backing south 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, backing southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 3 to 5, then southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches at first, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good ,occasionally very poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 occasionally 6, deceasing southwest 4 or 5, gradually increasing south or southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Fair, only isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 or 6, decreasing south 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain for a time, then risk of mist and fog.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest, backing south later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South, backing southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly, backing southeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, backing south or southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- In south moderate occasionally rough, elsewhere smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in south.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5, veering south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate in northwest, elsewhere rough becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 0000 UTC until Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Atlantic low will be slow moving to the northwest of Scotland. Strong southeasterly flow will cover Shetland Waters, moderating later Wednesday morning.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7, decreasing 4 later in south
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough. slight in lee shelter close to shetland.
- Weather
- Rain at times. Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Wednesday 20 May until 0000 UTC on Thursday 21 May
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest 3 to 5
- Sea state
- Moderate, but rough at first in northeast. slight in lee shelter close to shetland.
- Weather
- Rain at times. Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, locally 6 in the north of the area, generally becoming west to northwest 2 to 4 tomorrow afternoon, then south to southeast 1 to 3 in the evening.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, in the northwest of the area, otherwise slight to moderate with a low swell, generally becoming smooth to slight with a moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Patchy rain and drizzle spreading eastwards and then clearing around midday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 2 to 3 locally 4 at times, backing easterly by midday, increasing 3 to 4 locally 5 in the evening.
- Sea state
- Smooth to slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches until mid-afternoon.
- 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.
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.
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