Coast and sea
General situation
The brisk north to northeasterly breeze currently affecting the far southeast will gradually ease during Wednesday leaving the United Kingdom in a mostly slack airflow. However a strengthening southerly wind will develop across northern Scotland as an area of low pressure approaches from the Atlantic.
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
- Variable 3 or less becoming southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in Moray Firth, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in Moray Firth and moderate or rough in far north, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming east or southeast 3 to 5, veering south 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth, then veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in St Andrews Bay and Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4 veering southeasterly 2 or 3, then southerly 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, veering south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5 veering east 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming southeast 4 or 5, veering south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, veering northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in east, becoming variable 2 at times in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except in far east.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming mainly fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or northeast, veering southeast for a time, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming southeasterly 3 or 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4 in east but variable 3 or less in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming southeasterly 3 or 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, but mainly southeasterly at first, 3 or less, occasionally 4 in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 3 or 4, but becoming variable 3 or less from Cardigan Bay southwards.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering south or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, then veering southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in northwest, otherwise southeasterly veering southerly 3 to 5, then veering southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly 3 to 5, but becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time to the north and east of Arran.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, veering southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly veering southerly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in east and rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first in south, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later except in far north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in east.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first in south, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first between Barra and Canna, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later between Barra and Canna.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A slack pressure pattern at first. A trough then moves over Shetland Waters tonight with a strengthening southerly flow.
Forecast
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just southeast of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 06 May until 0600 UTC on Thursday 07 May
- Wind
- West or southwest becoming variable, 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, but slight just southeast of Shetland.
- Weather
- Showers then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 at times, veering east to southeast overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight at times.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps locally heavy, dying out for a time late afternoon and early evening, risk of mist near the French coast around dawn.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 2 to 4, backing east to northeast by mid-afternoon, becoming variable cyclonic after midnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight at times.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps locally heavy at times, risk of mist near the French coast at first.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or perhaps poor at times.
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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