Inshore waters forecast and strong winds

Issued by the Met Office at

Inshore waters forecast to 12 miles offshore

06:00 (UTC) on Sat 11 Jul 2026 to 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 12 Jul 2026

General situation

High pressure centred to the north and west of Scotland will bring only light to moderate breezes to most northern and eastern areas, whereas further south and west there will be an often brisk northeasterly flow. A frontal trough will bring some thundery rain at first to some Scottish coastlines and fog patches will affect some eastern parts.

Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney

24 hour forecast: East or northeast 2 to 4. Slight or moderate to the west and north of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight. Occasional rain at first in south, perhaps thundery, otherwise fair. Good, occasionally poor at first in south.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in northwest and in south. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.


Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed

24 hour forecast: Northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first and 2 later. Smooth or slight. Occasional thundery rain and fog patches, becoming fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: East or northeast 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in Firth of Forth. Slight. Fair. Good.


Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby

24 hour forecast: East or northeast 2 to 4. Slight, occasionally smooth at first. Occasional rain for a time, perhaps thundery, fog patches until later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeast 3 or 4. Slight, becoming moderate except in far north. Fair. Good.


Whitby to Gibraltar Point

24 hour forecast: Northeast 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first and 5 later. Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later. Fog patches at first. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 in north. Slight or moderate, becoming moderate. Fair. Good.


Gibraltar Point to North Foreland - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 3 at first in north, increasing 6 at times later in south. Slight, occasionally smooth at first in north and moderate in far south. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeasterly 4 to 6. Moderate, occasionally slight in The Wash. Fair. Good.


North Foreland to Selsey Bill - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Easterly or northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 from Beachy Head eastwards, decreasing 3 at times further west. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 from Beachy Head eastwards. Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough. Fair. Good.


Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis

24 hour forecast: Northeast, veering east or southeast for a time, 3 to 5. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeast, veering east or southeast for a time, 4 to 6. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good.


Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 for a time in Lyme Bay, but occasionally 6 to the south of Start Point, Prawle Point and Lizard Point. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in Lyme Bay but increasing 7 at times from Start Point westwards. Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough except in Lyme Bay. Mainly fair. Good.


Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time at first in north, then occasionally 6 later. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north, perhaps gale 8 later in north. Slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good.


St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel

24 hour forecast: Variable 2 to 4 becoming east or northeast 3 to 5. Slight or moderate in far west, but elsewhere smooth or slight. Fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later. Smooth or slight in Cardigan Bay and Caernarfon Bay, but elsewhere slight or moderate. Fair. Good.


Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: East or northeast 3 to 5, occasionally variable 2 at first, increasing 6 at times later. Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in west. Occasional rain for a time in north. Good, occasionally moderate in north.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 in Solway Firth and in southwest. Slight or moderate in west, smooth or slight in east. Fair. Good.


Isle of Man

24 hour forecast: Variable 2 to 4, becoming east or northeast 3 to 5 later. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: East or northeast 3 to 5. Slight, occasionally moderate. Fair. Good.


Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough

24 hour forecast: Northerly or northwesterly, veering northeasterly later, 3 to 5, but becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in far north. Slight, occasionally moderate in north but smooth until later in south. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4 for a time in north. Slight, occasionally moderate in south and smooth in north. Fair. Good.


Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel

24 hour forecast: Northwesterly until later in North Channel, otherwise northerly or northeasterly, 3 to 5. Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near the Mull of Kintyre. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 3 to 5. Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate near the Mull of Galloway. Fair. Good.


Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point

24 hour forecast: Northerly 3 to 5 at first in west, otherwise variable 3 or less, becoming easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4 later. Smooth or slight to the east of Islay and Jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate. Mainly fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Easterly or northeasterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later in far south. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.


The Minch

24 hour forecast: North or northeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 at times later. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable mainly northeast 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.


Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath

24 hour forecast: North or northeast 3 to 5. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later between Barra and Canna and near Sutherland. Fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northeasterly, veering easterly later, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in far north. Slight or moderate at first to the west of the Outer Hebrides, otherwise smooth or slight. Fair. Good.


Shetland Isles

24 hour forecast: North or northwest 2 or 3, becoming variable 3 or less for a time. Slight or moderate until later in north, west and south, otherwise smooth or slight. Fair. Good.

For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland - Strong wind warning

Valid Saturday 11 Jul 2026 at 0600 UTC until Saturday 11 Jul 2026 at 1800 UTC

General situation: A ridge of high pressure will build over Shetland Waters.

Forecast: Variable mainly north or northwest, 2 or 3. Slight or moderate, but smooth in sheltered waters just east of Shetland. Fair. Good.

Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Saturday 11 Jul until 0600 UTC on Sunday 12 Jul: Variable mainly northerly or northwesterly, 2 or 3, occasionally 4 in far east. Slight or moderate, but smooth in sheltered waters just east of Shetland. Fair. Good.


Channel Islands - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Northeast 4 to 5, occasionally 6 from midday. Slight to moderate, occasionally rather rough in the north and west later. Risk of mist later. Good, perhaps poor later.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: East to northeast 5 to 6, perhaps 7 in the north of the area from Sunday afternoon. Moderate to rather rough, locally rough mid-channel after dusk. Risk of mist at first, then a risk of isolated thunderstorms, mainly in the south of the area towards dawn on Monday. Good, perhaps locally moderate or poor.