Coast and sea
General situation
Low pressure centres to the north and west of the United Kingdom will continue to bring a mainly southerly or southwesterly flow, with strong winds at times in the north and west, and rain or showers away from the far southeast.
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
- South or southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the north and west of Orkney, slight or moderate elsewhere, but smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then south or southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough except in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, but 3 or 4 in Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first in south, becoming moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fog patches until later in east, otherwise mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, but moderate to very poor until later in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast, veering southwest later, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, but 5 or 6 at first in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, but moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly later, 3 to 5, but 5 or 6 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest later 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near st david's head.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South, veering south or southwest later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Isolated drizzle, occasional rain and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor very poor in fog patches.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Mainly moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, veering southwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches later in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor later in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in north.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 to 7 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but moderate at times in the North Channel and smooth at first to the north of the isle of arran.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east, and very rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6, then southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near entrances, becoming smooth later to the north and east of skye.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches later in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, and very poor later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 in south, then southerly or southwesterly 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 6 or 7, veering southwesterly 4 to 6, then becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches later in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor, and very poor later in south.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Tuesday 24 Feb 2026 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 25 Feb 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
An Atlantic low will track close to Iceland on Tuesday with the associated weather fronts affecting Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South or southeast veering southwest, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 25 Feb until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 25 Feb
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in north and west.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southeast 4 to 5, backing south 3 to 4 overnight, occasionally 2 in the south of the area, decreasing 1 to 3 after midday, perhaps locally variable later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches near the french coast Wednesday morning.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally poor or very poor at times.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 1 to 3, locally variable at first, veering southwest 3 to 4 by midnight, increasing 4 to 5 around dawn, occasionally 6 mid channel by midday.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell, increasing moderate to rather rough in the northwest later.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches near the french coast Thursday morning perhaps some patchy rain in the far northwest later.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very 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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