Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
Low pressure centred to the northwest of the United Kingdom will continue to bring strong winds with rain and showers today and tomorrow. High pressure will then start to build in from the southeast, with lighter winds and more settled conditions towards the southeast by Thursday.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 12:00 (UTC) on Tue 19 May 2026 to 12:00 (UTC) on Wed 20 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 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in east.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fog patches later in far northeast.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor and very poor later in far northeast.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4 at first in west, otherwise southeasterly 3 to 5, veering westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, but 5 to 7 at first in east, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, veering southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south for a time later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, veering southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest, backing south later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in the wash and Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery at first in north.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, backing south 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate later in lyme bay, occasionally very rough in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor, becoming good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 to 5, then southeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate in the Bristol Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor, becoming good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly, backing southerly for a time, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but moderate or rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough for a time.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor, but very poor later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Liverpool Bay.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery in northwest.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, occasional rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor later.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate occasionally rough in the south at first.
- Weather
- Rain or showers .
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 or 5 occasionally 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, then rain spreading from the southwest later, mist and fog patches.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally very poor later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 at times in southeast, veering southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, thundery at first.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly veering southwesterly later, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate at first to the south of the isle of arran.
- Weather
- Rain or 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, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South 3 to 5, veering southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, perhaps thundery in south.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or good occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering south 3 or 4, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in central areas, slight or moderate elsewhere towards entrances.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in far south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, veering south 3 or 4, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later in south.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight in sheltered northwest.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fog patches later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 19 May 2026 at 1200 UTC until Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Atlantic low will be slow moving to the northwest of Scotland. Strong southeasterly flow will cover Shetland Waters with a frontal system moving northeast this afternoon and evening, clearing early Wednesday.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming mainly rough
- Weather
- Rain at times
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Wednesday 20 May until 1200 UTC on Wednesday 20 May
- Wind
- Southeast 5 to 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later
- Sea state
- Mainly rough, but moderate in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Rain at times, fog patches later
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 5, occasionally 6, mainly in the northwest of the area, decreasing 2 to 3 in the south of the area later.
- Sea state
- Rather rough, occasionally rough, in the northwest, slight to moderate with a low swell elsewhere, becoming slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Occasional showers, dying out this evening patchy rain and drizzle spreading eastwards overnight, clearing by midday.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor at times later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to southwest 3 to 4, occasionally 5 mid-channel at first, locally variable 1 to 2 in the south of the area, backing south to southeast 2 to 3 overnight.
- Sea state
- Perhaps rather rough mid-channel at first, otherwise slight to moderate with a low to moderate swell, decreasing smooth or slight with a low swell overnight.
- Weather
- A risk of mist or fog patches near the french coast Thursday morning.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor near the french coast 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.
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