Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A front across England and Wales bringing patchy rain and some coastal fog patches, will slowly move southeast and weaken as an area of high pressure builds across the United Kingdom over the weekend, giving predominantly settled conditions to most areas and light or moderate breezes. However showers affecting some northern coastlines will be slow to die away.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Sat 20 Jun 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 21 Jun 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north, occasionally rough later north of Orkney.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- To the north and west of Orkney, moderate, occasionally rough at first north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming west or southwest 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in north.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming east 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming easterly or northeasterly, 2 to 4, increasing 5 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth becoming slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at times, fog patches at first in far south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in far south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth becoming slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers at first in far south.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in east, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery later, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 3 to 5 in east and later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Thundery showers and fog patches at first, becoming fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor, becoming good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly southwest at first, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in west, otherwise slight, occasionally smooth later in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate at first in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first, fog patches at first in southwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in southwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first near St Davids Head, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming north or northeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 at first in south, otherwise variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north or northwest, then veering east or northeast later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north 2 to 4, veering east or northeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly northerly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north, becoming variable 3 or less in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in sheltered east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming easterly or northeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in sheltered east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, decreasing 3 at times later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north, decreasing 3 at times later in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally slight, becoming rough later in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 20 Jun 2026 at 0600 UTC until Saturday 20 Jun 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Southwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight in southeast
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Saturday 20 Jun until 0600 UTC on Sunday 21 Jun
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough in north and west. slight just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest or variable 1 to 3, becoming north to northeast 3 to 4 in the south of the area by mid-afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Mist and fog, mainly in the north and west.
- Visibility
- Moderate, locally poor to very poor, occasionally good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 3 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mist and fog, clearing around midday.
- Visibility
- Moderate to good, locally poor to very poor.
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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