Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure centred over the Atlantic will bring a generally light to moderate northerly or northeasterly flow to the inshore waters, but winds will increase later in the west. The weather will continue mainly fair in most areas, although showers or drizzle may develop at times in northeast and later in northwest.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Fri 17 Jul 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sat 18 Jul 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 until later in east.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Drizzle or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later near Rattray Head, but variable 3 or less in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except in Firth of Forth.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east, but variable 2 to 4 in st andrews bay and Firth of Forth.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth, and rough at times later in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Mainly north 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first.
- Weather
- Drizzle for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast backing northwest later 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first and 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight at first and rough later in north.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in south, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly for a time in south 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in Thames estuary.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate except in Thames estuary.
- Weather
- Showers in north.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in east, becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near North Foreland.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwest 3 or 4, then veering northeast later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Moderate or god.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly northerly 3 or 4, but variable 3 or less in east, veering easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later from land's end westwards.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or until later in east, otherwise northerly or northeasterly backing northwesterly later, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time in west, becoming variable 3 or less for a time in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in Cardigan Bay and east of Anglesey, otherwise mainly northerly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly veering northeasterly later, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 for a time and decreasing 2 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate for a time in west.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6 later in west and northwest, but variable 3 or less later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later near Mull galloway.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest, but variable 2 to 4 at times in east and Solway Firth, becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate until later in west.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast backing north or northwest 3 to 5, increasing 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later except in far south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later, except along the south down coast.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at times south of strangford lough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- 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
- Cyclonic becoming northerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later in North Channel, occasionally variable 3 or less in northeast.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate in North Channel.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate in North Channel.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in North Channel, decreasing 2 or 3 elsewhere, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate until later in North Channel, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less at first in southeast, otherwise northerly or northeasterly backing northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 until later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Mainly northerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in sheltered east.
- Weather
- Drizzle or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly backing northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in entrances.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly for a time, 3 to 5, backing northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate until later near entrances.
- Weather
- Drizzle or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly backing northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming mainly moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly veering northeasterly for a time, 3 to 5, backing northwest 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle or showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first and 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth at times east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Friday 17 Jul 2026 at 0600 UTC until Friday 17 Jul 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
An area of high pressure will persist to the west of Scotland while low pressure develops over southern Scandinavia.
Forecast
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight, but smooth just east of shetland.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 17 Jul until 0600 UTC on Saturday 18 Jul
- Wind
- North or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 in east later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth just east of shetland at first.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- East to northeast 3 to 4, locally variable 1 to 2, backing north this afternoon, then west to northwest 2 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth, locally slight.
- Weather
- A risk of isolated showers until midday.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West to northwest 2 to 3, veering north to northeast 3 to 4 by mid-afternoon, then northeast to east 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- A risk of mist patches in the north and west.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps locally moderate to poor.
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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