Coast and Sea

Inshore waters and strong winds


General situation

The United Kingdom will continue to lie in an unseasonably cool and showery north to northwesterly airflow during the next 24 hours.

Issued at: .

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 15 May 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Sat 16 May 2026

Inshore waters and strong winds map


Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in east, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough until later in east, otherwise mainly moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in Moray Firth.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 4 or 5 becoming variable 3 or less, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
In Moray Firth, slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight, but elsewhere, moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwesterly mainly 4 to 6, but 7 or gale 8 at first in far north, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time later in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in Firth of Forth, elsewhere mainly moderate or rough, but very rough at first near Rattray Head.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in north, becoming variable 3 or less, then southerly or southeasterly 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far north and far south, becoming smooth or slight in Firth of Forth.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or northwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or northwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southeast 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming moderate.
Weather
Rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or northwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or northwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Rough at first in north and slight later in south, otherwise moderate.
Weather
Showers then fair, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 near northern and eastern Norfolk and 3 elsewhere, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time near northeast Norfolk but occasionally smooth elsewhere.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 in north, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight except near northeast Norfolk.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less at first in east, otherwise northwesterly backing westerly 2 to 4, backing southwesterly 3 or 4 later, occasionally 5 later in east.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth until later.
Weather
Showers then fair, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 2 to 4, backing west or northwest 3 to 5 for a time.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest backing west, 2 to 4, backing southwest 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth until later.
Weather
Showers then fair, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate later.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, becoming variable 3 at times in east.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest backing southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly backing northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, decreasing 3 at times in east, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in northwest.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in east, but in west, moderate, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable mainly northwest backing west or southwest, 2 to 4, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 2 to 4 backing southwest 3 to 5, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, then rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in west, becoming variable 3 at times in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in south and west, smooth or slight in east and north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 3 or 4 backing west or southwest 2 or 3, backing south or southwest 3 to 5 later, then veering west again later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
Weather
Mainly fair then rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight or moderate, then slight later.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest backing south or southwest, 3 or 4, veering west or southwest 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Rain and drizzle for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 to 6, backing west or northwest 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
West or northwest 2 to 4 backing south or southwest 3 to 5, then veering west or southwest later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Fair then rain, then showers later.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.

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 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Mainly slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in far north.
Weather
Showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwesterly 2 to 4 backing southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, then veering westerly later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in North Channel.
Weather
Fair then rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
North or northwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 2 or less then south or southeast 3 to 5, then veering west later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Mainly fair then rain at times.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in south, mainly slight or moderate in north but occasionally rough in far north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, then becoming cyclonic later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in south, slight or moderate in north.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in south, moderate or rough in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 3 or less becoming south or southeast 3 to 5, then becoming cyclonic later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough at first in north and smooth or slight until later between Barra and Canna, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers then rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor later.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

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

Valid Friday 15 May 2026 at 0000 UTC until Friday 15 May 2026 at 1200 UTC

General situation

Deep low pressure over southern Scandinavia maintains a strong to gale force north or northwesterly airstream over Shetland waters.

Forecast

Wind
North or northwest 6 to gale 8.
Sea state
Rough or very rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Friday 15 May until 0000 UTC on Saturday 16 May

Wind
North or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Very rough becoming rough.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good.

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
North 4 to 5, decreasing 3 to 4 around dawn, backing northwest 4 to 5 by late afternoon.
Sea state
Slight, with a low swell.
Weather
Isolated showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Northwest 4 to 5, backing west 3 to 4 soon after dawn, increasing 4 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight, increasing moderate in the north and west later.
Weather
Isolated showers at first, occasional rain or drizzle later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor later.

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.