Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure will build across southern areas with mainly light winds and fair weather for southern waters. Further north and west it will be more changeable, with fresher winds at times and showers or rain will develop.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Fri 7 Aug 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Sat 8 Aug 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 southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later near Cape Wrath and west of Orkney.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in northwest, slight of moderate in southeast.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first near Cape Wrath and 3 later in east.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in northwest, slight of moderate in southeast, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in south, veering westerly or southwesterly 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate until later in north.
- Weather
- Rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth later.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth near shore.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming southerly or southeasterly, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in north, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming easterly or southeasterly later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 2 to 4, becoming variable 3 or less, then east or southeast 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast backing north or northeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable becoming east or southeast later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast becoming variable, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable becoming west or northwest later, 2 to 4,occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate for a time.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly veering southerly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first in northwest.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable mainly south or southwest, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly backing southerly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
- Weather
- Fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in north.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in north.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4, veering west or southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 for a time and 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, elsewhere smooth or slight occasionally moderate at first in south.
- Weather
- Fair, rain and showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly veering northwesterly later in north, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or 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
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 for a time and 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain and showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly veering northwesterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Kintyre and at first elsewhere.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but smooth or slight to the east of islay and jura.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain and showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but smooth or slight to the east of islay and jura.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near entrances and smooth at times east of skye.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest veering west later, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain and showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 07 Aug 2026 at 1200 UTC until Saturday 08 Aug 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Atlantic low will be slow moving south of Iceland, with associated frontal systems affecting Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- South 5 or 6 veering southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming rough in far southwest later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Saturday 08 Aug until 1200 UTC on Saturday 08 Aug
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly 2 to 4, perhaps occasionally 5 in the southeast of the area until dusk, veering northeast to east 3 to 4 by midnight, further veering southeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East to southeast 3 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2 near the french coast, backing east to northeast 4 to 5 Saturday afternoon, veering westerly 3 to 4 overnight.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- A risk of isolated showers by dusk, mainly in the north.
- Visibility
- Good or very good, perhaps locally moderate later.
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.