Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure will persist over the next few days with mainly light or moderate breezes and fair weather for most areas. However, a decaying cold front will bring rain, drizzle and fog patches to the northwest, before clearing on Tuesday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 25 May 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Tue 26 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in northwest, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in south.
- Sea state
- To the west and north of Orkney, moderate, occasionally rough later, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, fog patches at first in northwest, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in northwest.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough to the west and north of Orkney, smooth or slight elsewhere.
- Weather
- Showers at first in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 to 5 in far south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southeast becoming variable, then mainly northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest veering east or northeast, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in north, then variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight in far north.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming northeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northeast 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Slight in east, moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly east or northeast, 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in southwest and smooth in east.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in east and moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming cyclonic, then east or northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth, occasionally slight later in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest, then veering east or northeast later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first in northwest.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest, veering east later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional drizzle and fog patches in far north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in far north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, but northeasterly in far south and veering northeasterly later elsewhere, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far north and far southeast.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in north.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 later in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then occasional drizzle and fog patches later near Mull of Kintyre.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later near Mull of Kintyre.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly, veering easterly or northeasterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first in west.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in west.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5 at first in north, otherwise variable, becoming northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle with fog patches.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first, veering east or northeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fog patches at first in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in south.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in central areas.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle with fog patches, then fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near entrances.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering west or northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle with fog patches, then fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 to 5, veering west 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east, becoming moderate or rough in west and far north.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 25 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Monday 25 May 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
The southwesterly flow veers westerly on Monday night.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6 in far northwest later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in west but slight just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Monday 25 May until 0600 UTC on Tuesday 26 May
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair
- Visibility
- Mainty good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 3 to 4, locally variable 1 to 3 at times, veering southeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine, risk of some mist at times developing near french coast.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 2 to 3, backing northeast 3 to 4, locally variable 2 to 3 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Fair or fine, risk of some mist developing at first.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, occasionally moderate or 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.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.