Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

The moderate to strong northwesterly showery flow will ease off today, as a ridge builds from the southwest. However, rain, drizzle and fog patches will affect the north and west from the afternoon and into tomorrow.

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
Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less, then southwest 3 to 5, veering west 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then rain or drizzle, fog patches in northwest.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in northwest.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West 2 to 4, backing southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 near Cape Wrath.
Sea state
Moderate in northwest, otherwise slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather
Occasional drizzle in north.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate in north.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less, then southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southwest.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then west 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate becoming slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming smooth later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6, veering southeast 2 or 3, then west 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Slight, becoming smooth later.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 4 to 6, becoming variable 4 or less.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 4 or less, becoming southerly 2 or 3 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east, backing southwesterly 3 to 5, veering northwesterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwesterly backing southwesterly, 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5, veering northwest 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight at first.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 or 5 decreasing 2 or 3.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but moderate at first in west.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 2 or 3, becoming variable 4 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 6 decreasing 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 2 to 4, veering northwest later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in south.
Weather
Occasional drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
Sea state
Smooth occasionally slight.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest, backing southwest for a time, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in Solway Firth.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 3 or 4, backing southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
Sea state
Smooth.
Weather
Occasional drizzle at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor at first.

Isle of Man (12)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 3 or 4, backing west or southwest, variable or west later.
Sea state
Moderate, falling slight.
Weather
Fair, occasional rain or drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable or west 3 or 4, backing southwest 2 or 3 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair.
Visibility
Good.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 4 or less, then west or southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north.
Weather
Fair then rain or drizzle, fog patches in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 4 or less.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle at first, fog patches at first in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in north.

Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 4 or less, then westerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fair then rain or drizzle.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Westerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 4 or less.
Sea state
Smooth, occasionally slight near Mull of Kintyre.
Weather
Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 2 to 4, backing west or southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then rain, drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near entrances.
Weather
Fair then rain, drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate near entrances.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 4 or 5 for a time.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Fair then rain, drizzle and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6.
Sea state
Moderate.
Weather
Rain or drizzle at times, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 3 to 5, backing west 2 to 4, then south, veering west later, 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain, drizzle and fog patches later.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate occasionally very poor later.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Valid Tuesday 08 Jul 2025 at 0600 UTC until Tuesday 08 Jul 2025 at 1800 UTC

General situation

A transient ridge of high pressure crosses from the west on Tuesday before a weak Atlantic trough extends west in the evening bringing a southwesterly flow.

Forecast

Wind
North or northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5
Sea state
Moderate
Weather
Fair
Visibility
Good

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Tuesday 08 Jul until 0600 UTC on Wednesday 09 Jul

Wind
Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first in east
Sea state
Slight or moderate
Weather
Rain and fog patches
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor or very poor

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North to northwest 3 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing west to northwest in the afternoon, becoming northerly or variable 1 to 2 overnight.
Sea state
Smooth to slight, with a low swell throughout.
Weather
Fine.
Visibility
Good or very good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 1 to 2, becoming north to northwest to for a time from Tuesday afternoon.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Fine.
Visibility
Good or very 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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