Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A ridge stretches across the United Kingdom and brings mainly light winds for much of Sunday. Outbreaks of rain affecting most areas will become confined to some english and welsh coastal waters, ahead of further frontal systems and strengthening winds moving in from the west on Monday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Sun 13 Sep 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Mon 14 Sep 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later, then south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming moderate later to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering northwesterly later in northwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to the north and west of Orkney, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southerly or southeasterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then rain and showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming south or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 2 to 4, veering southwest 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering south or southwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southwesterly, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle mainly in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle and fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor until later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then south or southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle, fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southerly or southwesterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 for a time later in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle, fog patches until later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southerly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Fog patches, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or poor, occasionally very poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly later in north, 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in south until later, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain and drizzle, fog patches at first in southeast.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in southeast.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4 occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming south or southwest 2 to 4 later, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in sheltered east, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in sheltered east, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly westerly or southwesterly, 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate occasionally smooth in central areas.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in central areas.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable mainly westerly or southwesterly, 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers until later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest backing south or southwest later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in lee shelter east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Sunday 13 Sep 2026 at 0000 UTC until Sunday 13 Sep 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation
A ridge of high pressure will pass east across Shetland waters through Sunday with a trough following from the west early Monday.
Forecast
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough but slight in lee shelter east of shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Sunday 13 Sep until 0000 UTC on Monday 14 Sep
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing south or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough but slight in lee shelter east of shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 2 to 4, occasionally 5 mid-channel until early afternoon.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell, perhaps locally moderate in the far northwest of the area at times.
- Weather
- Risk of rain and drizzle until midday, mainly in the far north of the area mist patches and a risk of fog later.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to poor, or perhaps very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 2 to 3, locally variable 1 to 2 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Rain, drizzle and mist with a risk of fog patches, all clearing around midday.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate to poor, or perhaps very poor until midday.
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.
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