Coast and sea
General situation
A deep Atlantic low will remain slow moving to the northwest of the British Isles during the weekend. This will bring blustery, unsettled conditions to the inshore waters with strong or gale force winds, especially in the north and west, and with severe gales at first in the northwest. Winds will decrease as the low moves away slowly to the north.
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
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 at times in east and north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northeast and slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast veering southwest for a time, 5 to 7, backing south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in far northeast, becoming slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South, veering southwesterly at times in Firth of Forth, 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Squally showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough for a time in north, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4, backing south 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Squally showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4, then 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 for a time in northeast and south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly backing southwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain at first, then squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Rough becoming slight or moderate, then mainly slight later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough or high west of Lizard Point.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate in west, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high for a time in southwest, and moderate at times in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest backing west for a time, 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in west, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in north, becoming slight or moderate east of Anglesey.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, veering west 2 to 4, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first in southwest, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, veering west 3 or 4 later, backing south 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 for a time, decreasing southwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, very rough for a time in places.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 or 6, veering west or southwest 3 or 4, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 for a time in south and east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in east and south.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north, decreasing 3 to 5, backing south 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in east and south.
- Weather
- Thundery showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
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 veering southwesterly later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 for a time in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, backing south later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later east and north of arran.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast veering southwest later, 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high in west, and moderate in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high at first in west, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally slight in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 until later, mainly in south, veering southerly or southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in north, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in south.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate but rough at time in entrances.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 until later, mainly in south, veering southerly or southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Very rough, occasionally high in west and south, but moderate or rough near Sutherland.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming southwesterly 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming mainly rough later, occasionally moderate near Sutherland.
- Weather
- Rain or squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high for a time.
- Weather
- Rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Saturday 11 Apr 2026 at 1200 UTC until Sunday 12 Apr 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Deep low pressure to the west brings a strengthening southerly or southeasterly flow to Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming very rough or high.
- Weather
- Rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Sunday 12 Apr until 1200 UTC on Sunday 12 Apr
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 in northeast later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high, but rough in lee shelter west of shetland.
- Weather
- Fair, rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor later.
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West to southwest 4 to 6 with gusts to 35kt, locally 7 in the north of the area at times, backing southwest by dusk, decreasing 4 to 5 overnight.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, locally very rough in the west after dusk.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, decreasing 3 to 4 during the afternoon, further decreasing 2 to 3 by late evening.
- Sea state
- Rough to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell by midday.
- Weather
- Isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate.
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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