Coast and sea

Inshore waters and strong winds

General situation

A slow-moving area of low pressure centred close to the southwest of the British Isles will gradually fill, with mainly light or moderate winds over the weekend, but locally strong at times in the west. Further rain or showers are expected in places.

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)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Moray Firth.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 3 to 5, veering southerly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Fair then occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 in south.
Sea state
Slight occasionally moderate.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate mainly in north.
Weather
Rain or showers for a time.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Variable 2 to 4, becoming south or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally moderate later.
Weather
Showers then occasional rain.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 3 to 5, decreasing 2 or 3 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
Weather
Showers, fog patches developing.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 2 or 3, increasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later.
Sea state
Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate later in north.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches at first.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first and poor later.

Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, backing easterly 2 or 3 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers at first, fog patches developing.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly 2 or 3, increasing 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain, fog patches in north.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in north.

North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4, backing easterly or northeasterly later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
Weather
Showers at first.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or northeasterly, veering southerly later, 3 or 4.
Sea state
Smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South 4 or 5, decreasing 2 to 4, backing east or northeast later.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight at times.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East or northeast 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 to 4.
Sea state
Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, backing easterly or southeasterly 2 to 4 later.
Sea state
Very rough at first near Isles of Scilly, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in east.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly becoming variable, 2 to 4, becoming southerly 3 to 5 later in west.
Sea state
Rough at first near Isles of Scilly, otherwise slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later in east.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first near St Davids Head.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east and very rough at first near land's end.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Bristol Channel.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Rough at first near St Davids Head, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight east of Anglesey, otherwise slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Slight or moderate in north, smooth or slight in south.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in north.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Isle of Man (12)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight or moderate later.
Weather
Showers in west.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 for a time later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming slight later.
Weather
Showers then fair.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
Sea state
Moderate, becoming slight at times.
Weather
Showers, occasional rain in east.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally poor in east.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first then increasing 6 at times.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

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 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in North Channel.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in Firth of Clyde.
Weather
Occasional rain or showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeasterly 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Clyde.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)

Strong winds are forecast

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first and 3 later.
Sea state
Slight or moderate, occasionally rough until later in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southeast 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

The Minch (16)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, veering southerly later in north, 3 to 5, decreasing 2 at times in north.
Sea state
Slight or moderate until later to the southwest of skye, otherwise smooth or slight.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate to the south and west of skye, smooth or slight elsewhere northeast of skye.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Easterly or southeasterly, veering southerly later in north, 3 to 5, decreasing 2 at times in north.
Sea state
Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate in north and also later in south.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
Southerly or southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 to 6.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

Shetland Isles (18)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
South or southeast 3 to 5.
Sea state
Moderate, occasionally slight in northeast and rough at first in west.
Weather
Showers.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)

Valid Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 1200 UTC

General situation

A ridge of high pressure to the east and complex low pressure to the west will maintain a freshening southeast air flow over Shetland waters.

Forecast

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5
Sea state
Moderate or rough, slight east of shetland at first
Weather
Isolated showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 17 Jan until 0000 UTC on Sunday 18 Jan

Wind
South or southeast 4 or 5
Sea state
Moderate
Weather
Showers
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate

Channel Islands (19)

24 hour forecast:

Wind
Southerly 4 to 5, decreasing 3 to 4 by midday Saturday, backing southeast to east 2 to 3 later.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a moderate swell.
Weather
Mist and fog patches, mainly in the south of the area from Saturday morning rain and drizzle in the south of the area later.
Visibility
Good, occasionally moderate to poor, locally very poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours:

Wind
East to southeast 2 to 3, backing northeast 3 to 4 for a time overnight, becoming variable 1 to 2 by dusk Sunday.
Sea state
Smooth or slight with a low swell.
Weather
Patchy rain or drizzle, with mist or fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, locally poor or very poor at times.

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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