Coast and sea
General situation
High pressure over the north Atlantic will continue to bring an east to northeasterly flow across the United Kingdom, with strong winds across many southern and western waters and gales at first in the far southwest. Fair conditions will dominate, although there will be some patchy light rain in the far southwest.
Issued at:
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period to
Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming variable, 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in Firth of Forth and 2 elsewhere, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first in far south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but occasional drizzle at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 5, veering east 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first except in far north, otherwise slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east, becoming southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 to 5, decreasing 2 or 3 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in west, decreasing 4 at times close inshore.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first from Prawle Point westwards.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in Lyme Bay.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but showers in west.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 5 or 6, occasionally 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 5 to 7 veering east or southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, but showers for a time near Cornwall.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast, backing northeast at times in Severn Estuary, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 except in far north.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Cardigan Bay and Caernarfon Bay.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Mainly smooth or slight, but becoming moderate at times in far north and far south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6 becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming southeast 4 or 5 later near great orme head.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6 decreasing 3 or 4, then veering east or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight for a time later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in southwest, backing easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 6 veering southeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, veering easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in North Channel, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in south, becoming variable 2 at times later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near the Mull of Kintyre, becoming variable 3 or less except to the south and west of Islay.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in west, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west and north, becoming variable 2 at times in east and south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight to the east of the Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time in south.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight, then occasionally moderate again later in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 22 Apr 2026 at 0000 UTC until Wednesday 22 Apr 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure covers Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northeast backing mainly northwest, 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in west
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Wednesday 22 Apr until 0000 UTC on Thursday 23 Apr
- Wind
- Mainly west or northwest 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in north
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 5 to 6 with gusts to 40kt, perhaps occasionally 7 in the north and west of the area, locally 4 in the southeast of the area from midday.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, locally rough in the northwest until dusk.
- Weather
- Risk of patchy light rain in the far southwest Wednesday afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to northeast 4 to 5, locally 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, rather rough in the north and west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The 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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