Coast and sea
General situation
A deep area of low pressure to the northwest of Ireland will continue to bring gales or severe gales to western and northern areas today, with further rain or showers. On Wednesday into Thursday, low pressure centred further west in the Atlantic, will bring a showery and mainly moderate or strong south or southeast flow, with occasional gales at times for some western waters.
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
- East or southeast 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough in east, becoming slight later in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- East or southeast 5 to 7, decreasing 4 at times in Moray Firth.
- Sea state
- Very rough at first in northeast, otherwise mainly moderate or rough, but slight in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, decreasing 4 to 6, then 2 to 4 later in south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 4 to 6, but 3 or 4 until later in Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable, mainly south, 2 to 4, becoming southeast 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6, then becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, veering southwesterly 2 to 4, becoming variable later.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth later in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate occasionally poor, becoming good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming easterly 3 or 4, veering southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth at first in Thames estuary, becoming moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, decreasing 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 or 3, becoming southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 4 to 6, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southeast 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally very rough at first in west, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, thundery in west.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate occasionally poor later in west.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, decreasing 3 to 5, backing southerly or southeasterly, then increasing 5 to 7 later in far west.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but high at first in west and moderate later in east.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 at times in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in east, very rough until later in far west.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 5 to 7, backing southerly 3 to 5, then southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, rough or very rough in west, occasionally high at first in far southwest.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 at times in far west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in east, rough or very rough in west.
- Weather
- Rain or thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, backing southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 later in far south.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Thundery showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough in southwest.
- Weather
- Rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, veering southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in southeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeast 7 or gale 8, veering south or southwest 4 or 5, backing southeast later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 or 5 increasing 5 or 6, then 7 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, only isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Mostly good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East or southeast 7 to severe gale 9, veering south 6 to gale 8, then backing southeast 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps thundery.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in the North Channel, decreasing 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough at first in North Channel, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in the North Channel, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in the North Channel.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth in sheltered northeast, occasionally rough later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly or southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 at first in far west, veering southerly or southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but very rough in west until later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 at times near entrances, veering southeasterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in central areas, rough near entrances.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 later in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough near entrances, and smooth to the east of skye.
- Weather
- Showers in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Easterly 7 to severe gale 9, veering southeasterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or showers.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later, occasionally gale 8 later in far south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in north and very rough in south.
- Weather
- Occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Tuesday 27 Jan 2026 at 1800 UTC until Wednesday 28 Jan 2026 at 0600 UTC
General situation
Storm Chandra, over NW Ireland this evening will move NW into the Atlantic overnight, maintaining a strong southeasterly flow over Shetland waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southeasterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 in northeast
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0600 UTC on Wednesday 28 Jan until 1800 UTC on Wednesday 28 Jan
- Wind
- Southeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in southwest
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough
- Weather
- Occasional rain
- Visibility
- Moderate or good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southwest 5 to 6, with some gusts to 40kts at first, decreasing 4 to 5 by midnight, backing southeast 3 to 4 by mid afternoon.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, decreasing locally slight with a moderate swell throughout.
- Weather
- Occasional showers, locally heavy with a small risk of thunder this evening.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southeast 4 to 5, locally 3 in the far south, occasionally 6 in the west overnight and generally late Thursday afternoon.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a moderate swell, locally rather rough in the northwest.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps 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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