Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A southerly or southwesterly flow will continue to affect the coastal waters during the next couple of days with outbreaks of rain and strong winds at times. However, a high pressure over the Continent will bring settled weather to the southeast from tonight and into tomorrow.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Wed 20 May 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Thu 21 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly veering southwesterly, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly backing southerly or southeasterly, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in southwest.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 3 to 5, backing southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4 backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing south, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain in north.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in north.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then southeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth in northeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first in southwest, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing east or southeast, 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far west, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, drizzle and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast, 3 to 5 , veering southwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South backing southeast, 3 to 5, veering south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Rain at first, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, rain and fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good ,occasionally very poor.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5 occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then a risk of mist and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 3 to 5, backing south 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South, backing southeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly, 3 to 5, backing southerly 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 5, backing southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 5 or 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first north of skye.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest, backing south later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth north of skye.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest 5 or 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 or 5, veering southwest, backing south later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later in northeast.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 5 or 6, veering southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in east, otherwise moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Atlantic low will be slow moving to the northwest of Scotland. Moist, showery southeasterly flow will cover Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 or 6 decreasing 3 or 4, and veering southwesterly later in southwest
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough. slight in lee shelter close to shetland.
- Weather
- Rain at times. Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 20 May until 0600 UTC on Thursday 21 May
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, but southeasterly at first in northeast
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough later in southwest. slight in lee shelter close to shetland.
- Weather
- Rain at times. Fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor or very poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, perhaps 6 in the northwest of the area at first, decreasing 3 to 4 in the afternoon, locally variable 1 to 3 in the south of the area, becoming southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell, but rather rough in the northwest of the area at first, becoming smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Patchy rain and drizzle at first, risk of mist or fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, locally moderate or poor at times, perhaps locally poor or very poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South to southeast 2 to 4, backing easterly by midday, locally 5 in the evening, veering south later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of mist or fog patches until mid-afternoon.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor at times.
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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