Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A shallow area of low pressure will continue to move southeast across the North Sea and lose its identity today. This will bring an unseasonably cool and showery northwesterly flow. The wind will be strong and blustery at times, especially in the west, but also in the northeast later on Thursday as the flow veers northerly.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Wed 13 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Thu 14 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in the Moray Firth, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later near Orkney and Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5, then backing north or northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest, 5 or 6, increasing 7 at times near Rattray Head, and occasionally 4 in the Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 at first, then increasing 7 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate, then rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West, veering north or northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly veering northwesterly, then northerly later, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north, backing northwesterly 4 or 5 later, occasionally 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate, becoming slight or moderate later, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering northwesterly 4 or 5, then veering north 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West veering northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first, then decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough until later in far west, becoming smooth or slight later in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate near severn estuary.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7, veering north or northwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, falling slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in north and east.
- Sea state
- Rough in far north, otherwise moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far north, otherwise moderate, occasionally slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- 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
- Northwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 4 at times near the Firth of Clyde, and occasionally 7 at first in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough at first near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in southwest.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough in west, moderate or rough in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first near barra.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming north 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight at first to the east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 13 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Thursday 14 May 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
A broad area of low pressure south of Shetland moves away southeast through Wednesday, introducing a strengthening northerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming north 4 to 6
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in eastern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Thursday 14 May until 1200 UTC on Thursday 14 May
- Wind
- North 4 to 6 increasing 6 or 7
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight at first in eastern waters
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to northwest 5 to 6 with gusts to 35kt, perhaps locally 7 at times, decreasing 4 to 5 towards midday tomorrow.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, decreasing moderate to rather rough towards midday tomorrow.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, locally heavy at times.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6 at first, veering north by dusk, decreasing 3 to 4 by dawn, backing northwest again later.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Scattered showers, locally heavy, becoming isolated or perhaps dying out after midnight.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate or perhaps 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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