Coast and Sea
Inshore waters and strong winds
General situation
High pressure centred out in the Atlantic extends a ridge eastwards across the British Isles. This will give a strong northeasterly flow in the south. The ridge will gradually decline southwards, and allow a frontal trough to move into the north later on Sunday, and then progress further south on Monday. This will introduce strong winds to some northern and eastern waters.
Issued at: .
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 10 May 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Mon 11 May 2026
Inshore waters and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in east, then decreasing 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough except in Moray Firth.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in north and at first near Rattray Head.
- Weather
- Showers then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 4 to 6, veering north or northwest 5 to 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later near Rattray Head.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south and moderate in north, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 5 to 7, becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming south 3 to 5, veering north or northwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 6 or 7, decreasing 3 to 5, then backing southwest later.
- Sea state
- Rough, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then north or northwest 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in north.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 5 or 6, increasing 6 to gale 8, backing southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 4 to 6, backing northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming rough for a time in northeast.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in east, backing northerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in east, becoming variable 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in east and smooth in west.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 4 to 6, backing north 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Rain at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northeast 4 or 5 for a time later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northeast 4 to 6, decreasing 3 at times.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough in far west and slight in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers for a time.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northerly or northeasterly 4 to 6, backing northwesterly 3 to 5 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east and rough near Lands End.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly backing northerly or northwesterly, 4 to 6, occasionally 3 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast backing west or northwest, 3 to 5, veering north 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North backing west or northwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first.
- Weather
- Showers at first.
- Visibility
- Good.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeasterly 2 to 4, backing northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later.
- Weather
- Fair, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly or northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in west, decreasing 3 or 4, backing westerly 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming north or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North 4 to 6, backing northwest 3 to 5, then west 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in south.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 4 or 5, veering northerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in North Channel.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, backing northwesterly 3 to 5, then westerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in North Channel, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 4 or 5, veering northerly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight at first in east.
- Weather
- Showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northerly 4 to 6, backing westerly 3 to 5, veering northwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east and rough later in west.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering north or northwest 4 to 6, then north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south and rough near northern entrance.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south and west.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, veering north or northwest 4 to 6, then north or northeast 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight or moderate between barra and canna.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less, then west or southwest 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate between barra and canna, elsewhere moderate or rough.
- Weather
- Fair then occasional rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then northeast 5 to 7, backing north 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Sunday 10 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Sunday 10 May 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
Showery northwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters. Low pressure system will track southeast across Shetland Waters during Sunday afternoon.
Forecast
- Wind
- Mainly northwest 3 or 4 backing northeast 5 to 7, but becoming cyclonic 3 to 5 for a time in south
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight just east of shetland
- Weather
- Showers then rain
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate or poor
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Sunday 10 May until 0600 UTC on Monday 11 May
- Wind
- North or northeast 5 to 7
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, but slight just east of shetland
- Weather
- Rain then showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northeast 5 to 6 with gusts to 35kt, perhaps locally 7, backing north 4 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate later.
- Weather
- Rain or showers, mainly in the east and the south of the area, clearing later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 4 to 5, veering northeast 3 to 4 during Monday evening, further veering east 2 to 3 later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate, decreasing smooth or slight by midday.
- Weather
- Fair or fine.
- Visibility
- Good or very good.
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.
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