Coast and sea
General situation
Low pressure centres to the west or southwest of the United Kingdom will continue to bring an unsettled and mainly moderate or strong easterly or southeasterly flow across all areas, with gales and snow at times in the far northeast, and a risk of gales later on Wednesday into Thursday in the 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)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in northeast.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but rough or very rough in north and east.
- Weather
- Rain or snow.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but rough or very rough in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in far north and 4 in Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or sleet.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north and 4 in Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, veering south 3 or 4 for a time, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, veering south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor, becoming good later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 3 or 4, backing east 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor, becoming good later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 6, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in north, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 3 or 4, backing easterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain, then mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming south 3 to 5, backing southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, becoming good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 to 6, veering south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but southerly 6 or 7 at first in far west, backing southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly backing easterly 4 to 6, veering southeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but 7 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in far southwest, otherwise moderate or rough, and slight in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in east.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 6 or 7, gradually decreasing 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, falling moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, then outbreaks of rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 or 6, then east 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, building moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in south and slight later in north.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in southeast.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in the North Channel, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in west and 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough until later in far west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth to the east of skye, occasionally rough near north entrance.
- Weather
- Wintry showers in far north, rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in far north and moderate elsewhere later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, but 6 at first in north and later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight to the east of skye, occasionally rough near north entrance.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Wintry showers in far north, rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor in far north and moderate elsewhere later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in northwest.
- Weather
- Sleet or snow.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 03 Feb 2026 at 1200 UTC until Wednesday 04 Feb 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Strong southeasterly flow will persist across Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Sleet or snow
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Wednesday 04 Feb until 1200 UTC on Wednesday 04 Feb
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in south, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Sleet or snow
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southwest 3 to 4, backing south to southeast 4 to 5 in the evening, increasing 5 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, risk locally heavy in the south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 5 to 6, locally 7, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 for a time around midnight then south to southwest 4 to 6 by dawn.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, with a low to moderate swell, increasing rather rough in the north of the area for a time.
- Weather
- Risk of showers at first rain by midnight, locally heavy, clearing later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
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.
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.