Coast and Sea

Inshore waters and strong winds


General situation

An Atlantic low will move east towards the British Isles, bringing strengthening winds and rain or showers.

Issued at: .

For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Mon 18 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Tue 19 May 2026

Inshore waters and strong winds map


Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in south, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in east.
Weather
Rain then showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later in east.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth at first in south, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 to 5, but 5 or 6 at first in east, occasionally 7 at first in northeast, veering southerly or southwesterly later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
Weather
Rain then showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first, rain later.
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 5 or 6, veering south then southwest later, 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight later.
Weather
Rain then showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, veering southwest 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain then showers, perhaps thundery.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly or southeasterly 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery in north, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first in northeast, veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later in west.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly, veering southwesterly later, 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in east.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate occasionally rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, but poor at first.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 4 or 5, backing south 4 to 6, veering southwest 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in east, occasionally rough later in west.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later near Isles of Scilly.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, but poor at first.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwesterly backing southerly 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 in west, veering southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwesterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, but poor at first.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest 2 to 4, backing south, veering southwest later, 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 to 6.
Sea state
Moderate or rough.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast, veering south later, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southwest, backing southeast, then veering south later, 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6, occasionally 7 for a time.
Sea state
Slight, becoming moderate later.
Weather
Rain for a time, then showers.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate or poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southwest, 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally rough in the south at first.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate or poor.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in south.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in northwest.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
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
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in the North Channel.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in the North Channel.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in the North Channel, veering southwesterly later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate in the North Channel.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 for a time later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6, veering south 3 or 4, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
Weather
Showers, perhaps thundery at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

The Minch (16)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight in central areas, slight or moderate near entrances.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, veering south 3 or 4, then southwesterly 5 or 6 later in far south.
Sea state
Smooth or slight at first in central areas, otherwise slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near southern entrance.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far south.
Weather
Showers, rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, veering south 3 or 4, then southwesterly 5 or 6 later in far south.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in south.
Weather
Rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Shetland Isles (18)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5, then 5 or 6 later.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight at first in east.
Weather
Mainly fair.
Visibility
Good occasionally moderate.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Strong wind warning

Valid Monday 18 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Tuesday 19 May 2026 at 0000 UTC

General situation

Low pressure west of the UK maintains a southeasterly flow over Shetland Waters

Forecast

Wind
Southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in southwest later.
Sea state
Moderate, but slight just east of shetland.
Weather
Mainly fair
Visibility
Good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Tuesday 19 May until 1200 UTC on Tuesday 19 May

Wind
Southeasterly 5 or 6, occasionally 4 in northeast at first.
Sea state
Moderate, but rough in far west later.
Weather
Mainly fair
Visibility
Good

Channel Islands (19)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South to southwest 3 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 in the south of the area at first, backing south 4 to 5 this evening, increasing 5 to 6 with gusts locally to 35kt overnight, veering southwest 4 to 5 later.
Sea state
Smooth to slight with a low swell, increasing slight to moderate overnight, further increasing rather rough in the northwest later.
Weather
Isolated showers rain spreading eastwards by dusk, locally heavy overnight, clearing to isolated showers around dawn, perhaps locally heavy later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at times.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6, mainly from evening.
Sea state
Slight to moderate but rather rough in the northwest, increasing rough for a time mid-channel overnight, decreasing slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell later.
Weather
Isolated showers, perhaps locally heavy at first, dying out in the evening occasional rain later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor at first.

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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