Inshore waters forecast and strong winds
Issued by the Met Office at
Inshore waters forecast to 12 miles offshore
00:00 (UTC) on Thu 4 Jun 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 5 Jun 2026
General situation
Low centre over Scotland will move away north or northwest through Thursday. A weak ridge will build for a time on Friday, before an Atlantic low approaches the celtic sea from the southwest by Saturday. Strong winds, rain and thundery showers will affect the coastal waters during the next couple of days, with gales for a time on Thursday in dover strait.
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming west 4 or 5 later. Slight or moderate. Rain or showers, thundery later, fog patches at first in north. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in north.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West backing southwest, 4 to 6, then southeast 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest, becoming smooth in Moray Firth. Rain then showers. Good, occasionally poor at first.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 3 to 5, veering west or southwest 4 to 6 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in Firth of Forth. Thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south, backing southerly 3 or 4 later. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight. Rain then showers. Good, occasionally poor at first.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: South veering west or southwest, 4 to 6. Slight or moderate. Thundery showers, fair later. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south 2 or 3. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth. Rain then showers. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 4 to 6. Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight. Thundery showers, fair later. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West or southwest 4 to 6, backing southeast 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Showers. Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 in south. Slight or moderate. Thundery showers, fair later. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southerly 2 to 4. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight. Showers, fair later. Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in dover strait. Rough, occasionally moderate. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southeasterly 3 or 4. Moderate or rough becoming slight, occasionally smooth later in east. Showers, thundery at first. Good, occasionally poor at first.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6 later. Moderate or rough. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 4 to 6, backing south 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later. Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate. Showers, rain later. Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: West or southwest 5 to 7, veering west or northwest 4 to 6 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough west of the Lizard and slight later in lyme bay. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West or northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, then southeast 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later near Isles of Scilly. Slight or moderate in northeast, moderate or rough in southwest, occasionally very rough in far west. Showers, rain later. Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest veering west, 5 to 7. Rough or very rough, but moderate in east. Rain or thundery showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 5 or 6, backing southwest 3 to 5, then southeast 5 to 7 later. Moderate or rough, but very rough at first in west, becoming slight in east. Showers, rain later. Good, occasionally moderate later.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 to 7, veering west 4 to 6. Moderate or rough. Rain or squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 5 or 6, backing southwest 4 or 5, then southeast 4 to 6 later. Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate, then smooth later in northeast. Showers, rain later. Good, occasionally moderate later.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 4 to 6, veering west 5 to 7. Moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later. Rain or squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 5 or 6, backing south 2 to 4, then southeast 3 to 5 later. Moderate becoming slight, occasionally smooth later in Liverpool Bay. Showers. Good.
Isle of Man - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 or 6, gradually veering west. Moderate. Occasional showers. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 5 or 6, gradually decreasing 4 or 5, backing south or southeast later. Moderate, becoming slight or moderate. Fair. Good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 or 6 veering west 5 to 7. Slight or moderate, becoming rough later in north. Rain or squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 5 to 7 backing southwest, then southeast later, 3 to 5. Slight or moderate, but rough at first in north. Showers. Good.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwesterly veering westerly, 4 to 6. Slight or moderate. Rain or squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Westerly 4 to 6, backing southwesterly 3 or 4, then southeasterly 4 or 5 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later in Firth of Clyde. Showers. Good.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic 3 to 5, becoming west 4 to 6, increasing 6 or 7 later. Moderate becoming rough or very rough. Rain or squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West 5 to 7, backing southwest, then southeast later, 3 to 5. Rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Showers, rain later. Good, occasionally moderate later.
The Minch - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic 2 or 3, becoming northwest 3 to 5, backing west or southwest 4 to 6. Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, but in south moderate becoming rough. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southeast 4 or 5. Slight or moderate, but rough at first in south, occasionally smooth later northeast of skye. Rain, showers for a time. Good, occasionally moderate.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic 2 to 4, becoming northwest 3 to 5, backing west or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later. Moderate or rough, but slight at first in far northeast, becoming very rough in southwest. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing south or southeast 4 or 5. Moderate at first in northeast, otherwise rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough. Rain, showers for a time. Good, occasionally moderate.
Shetland Isles - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: East or southeast 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, becoming cyclonic 4 to 6 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland - Strong wind warning
Valid Thursday 04 Jun 2026 at 0000 UTC until Thursday 04 Jun 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation: Low pressure to the southwest of Shetland fills slowly as it passes northward to the west of Shetland.
Forecast: Southeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 for a time in east. Slight or moderate. Occasional mist and fog patches, patchy rain. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Thursday 04 Jun until 0000 UTC on Friday 05 Jun: Southerly or southeasterly 4 or 5, later veering westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6 in west. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Channel Islands - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwest 5 to 6, with gusts to 35kt, veering west to southwest by dawn, locally 7 by midday, veering west to northwest 4 to 5 later. Rather rough to rough, increasing very rough in the west from mid-morning until dusk. Scattered showers, locally heavy later with a risk of thunder until midday, becoming isolated later. Good, occasionally moderate, perhaps locally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: West to northwest 4 to 5, backing southwest 3 to 4 by midday, locally variable 1 to 3 in the south of the area, backing south to southeast 5 to 6 later. Moderate to rather rough, decreasing slight to moderate by dawn, then smooth or slight later, with a moderate swell throughout. Isolated showers rain or showers, locally heavy spreading into the east of the area by dusk. Good, occasionally moderate, locally poor later.