Inshore waters forecast and strong winds
Issued by the Met Office at
Inshore waters forecast to 12 miles offshore
06:00 (UTC) on Sat 23 May 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 24 May 2026
General situation
High pressure will build through the weekend bringing fine and increasingly warm weather to most areas. There will be some rain or drizzle and fog patches at first, and rain will affect northwestern areas at times throughout.
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in northwest. Slight or moderate north and west of Orkney, elsewhere smooth or slight. Occasional rain or showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time. Slight or moderate north and west of Orkney, elsewhere smooth or slight. Rain or drizzle at times, mainly in northwest. Good, occasionally poor in northwest.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed
24 hour forecast: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later. Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate in far northeast. Occasional rain, fair later. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in north and 2 in south. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby
24 hour forecast: Southwest 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Occasional rain at first. Good, occasionally moderate until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable, mainly southwest, 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Thundery rain at first, then fair. Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable, becoming mainly southeasterly for a time, 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland
24 hour forecast: Southwesterly 3 or 4 at first in south, otherwise variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery, then fair. Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill
24 hour forecast: Variable, 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Moderate or good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis
24 hour forecast: Variable becoming mainly north later, 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable becoming mainly east, 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly
24 hour forecast: Variable becoming north or northeast later, 2 to 4. Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in lyme bay. Occasional drizzle and fog patches in west. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in west.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable, becoming east or northeast, 2 to 4. Slight or moderate in west, elsewhere smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor at first in west.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel
24 hour forecast: Variable 2 to 4, but westerly 4 or 5 for a time in Bristol Channel, and becoming northeasterly 3 or 4 later in south. Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Bristol Channel. Occasional drizzle and fog patches. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable, becoming mainly northeasterly at times, 2 to 4. Slight or moderate, but smooth or slight in Bristol Channel. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally poor at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel
24 hour forecast: South or southwest becoming variable at times, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 near Anglesey. Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate at first in south. Occasional drizzle and fog patches, becoming fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4, but south 3 or 4 at first near Anglesey. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway
24 hour forecast: South or southwest, 3 to 5, but variable 2 to 4 at times in Liverpool Bay. Smooth or slight. Occasional rain and fog patches at first, then fair. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Isle of Man
24 hour forecast: Southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 later. Slight, occasionally moderate later in south. Mainly fair. Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later. Slight, becoming smooth or slight later. Mainly fair. Moderate or good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 3 or 4, decreasing 2 at times. Smooth or slight. Occasional rain, fog patches at first in southeast, fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first in southeast.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 3 or less later. Smooth or slight, but slight or moderate later in far north. Fair, occasional rain or drizzle later in north. Moderate or good, occasionally poor later in north.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel
24 hour forecast: Southerly or southwesterly 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times in North Channel. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Moderate or good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less later. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 for a time in south and increasing 6 at times in northwest. Slight or moderate, smooth at times in sheltered east. Rain or showers, fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 3 or less for a time in south. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest, and smooth at times in sheltered east. Rain or drizzle at times. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth east of skye. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first and 6 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth east of skye. Fair, but rain and drizzle, or fog patches later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 3 later. Moderate, occasionally rough. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first and 6 later. Moderate or rough. Fair, but rain and drizzle, or fog patches later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor later.
Shetland Isles - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first and 6 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in west. Occasional rain, fog patches at first. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland
Valid Saturday 23 May 2026 at 0600 UTC until Saturday 23 May 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation: A southwesterly flow will affect Shetland Waters with a trough spreading northeast across the area at first.
Forecast: Southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain, fog patches at first. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Saturday 23 May until 0600 UTC on Sunday 24 May: Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 on northwest. Moderate, occasionally rough in west. slight just east of shetland. Occasional rain. Good, occasionally moderate.
Channel Islands
24 hour forecast: Northwest to north 2 to 3, locally 4 at times, veering northeast overnight. Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell. Risk of mist or fog patches, mainly in the far west. Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeast 3 to , locally 2 at times, soon veering east around dusk. Smooth, locally slight, with a low swell. Small risk of mist or fog patches mid-channel. Good, perhaps occasionally poor or very poor mid-channel.