Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
A transient ridge of high pressure will move eastwards today, bringing a showery northwesterly airflow with strong winds continuing in many areas at first. A deep Atlantic low will then approach the northwest of the British Isles later this evening and into Thursday. This will bring rain, showers and gales to northwestern areas, with rain and strong winds then extending southeastwards.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Wed 16 Sep 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Thu 17 Sep 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, backing westerly 2 to 4, then backing southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later, occasionally 7 in far north later.
- Sea state
- To the north and west of Orkney, moderate or rough, elsewhere slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- To the north and west of Orkney, moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later, elsewhere slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming south or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the firths of Tay and Forth.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the firths of Tay and Forth.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then south or southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then becoming southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight ,occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight ,occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, backing southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in the Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly backing westerly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first, then increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering westerly or northwesterly, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West veering northwest for a time, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and decreasing 3 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate , becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth at first in lyme bay, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 later in lyme bay.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far west, and becoming smooth at times later in lyme bay.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west, 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Showers, rain at times later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest, then veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly later, 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times mainly in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 or 5, backing southwesterly, then veering westerly later, 4 to 6, increasing 7 for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest, backing southwest for a time, 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 5 or 6, occasionally 7 until later, then decreasing 4 at times later.
- Sea state
- Moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight of moderate, occasionally rough later in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but rough or very rough in far north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
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 3 to 5, backing westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, backing southwest, then veering west later, 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in eastern shelter, becoming very rough later in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 6 or 7, increasing gale 8 at times, then backing southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time in west.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, backing southwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in central areas, elsewhere slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in far north and far south.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 6 to gale 8, backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far north and far south.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4, backing southwest 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming rough or very rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest veering west, 6 to gale 8, backing southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming high for a time in west.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 5 or 6, backing southwest 3 or 4, then backing south 6 or 7 later, then veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight at times in eastern shelter.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Wednesday 16 Sep 2026 at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 16 Sep 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Ridge of high pressure covers Shetland Waters. Atlantic frontal system will move east on Wednesday evening followed by a showery southwesterly airstream on Thursday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 5 to 7 backing southwest 3 or 4
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight just east of shetland
- Weather
- Showers at first
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Wednesday 16 Sep until 0600 UTC on Thursday 17 Sep
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4 backing southeast 5 to 7, veering southwest 5 later
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight at first just east of shetland
- Weather
- Rain then showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 4, increasing 4 to 5 by dusk, backing west to southwest by midnight, perhaps locally 6 mid-channel.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a low swell, occasionally rather rough mid-channel from midnight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers, locally heavy at first.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 4 to 5, perhaps locally 6, veering west to northwest by mid-afternoon, backing west 3 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate Thursday afternoon, then smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain, locally heavy, clearing by late afternoon.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, locally poor.
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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