Inshore waters forecast and strong winds
Issued by the Met Office at
Inshore waters forecast to 12 miles offshore
00:00 (UTC) on Sat 23 May 2026 to 00:00 (UTC) on Sun 24 May 2026
General situation
High pressure will gradually 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: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 later, occasionally 6 later 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, occasionally 6 at first in northwest and decreasing 2 at times later. 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: South or southwest 3 to 5. Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate for a time near Rattray Head. Occasional rain, fair later. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 3 or 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby
24 hour forecast: Southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 later. 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. Occasional rain at first. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland
24 hour forecast: Southeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in northeast, becoming variable 2 to 4 later. Smooth or slight. Occasional rain at first, perhaps thundery. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill
24 hour forecast: Southerly or southeasterly becoming 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 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly
24 hour forecast: Variable 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, often 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, mainly west, 2 to 4, but west 4 or 5 for a time in Bristol Channel. 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 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 2 to 4, occasionally 5 near Anglesey. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight. Occasional drizzle and fog patches, becoming fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable in south. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway
24 hour forecast: Southerly or southwesterly, 3 to 5, but variable 2 to 4 at times in Liverpool Bay. Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight. Occasional rain and fog patches at first, fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor until later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 2 to 4, occasionally 5 in north, becoming variable at times in Liverpool Bay. Smooth or slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Isle of Man
24 hour forecast: Southwest 3 or 4, backing south or southwest 4 or 5 later. Slight, occasionally moderate at first and again later. Occasional rain and fog patches at first, becoming mainly fair. Mainly good, occasionally very poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South or southwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 later. Slight, occasionally moderate at first. Mainly fair. Mainly good.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough
24 hour forecast: South or southwest 3 to 5, 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, occasionally 5 at first and 2 later. Smooth or slight. 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, occasionally 5 in North Channel. Smooth or slight. Occasional rain, fog patches at first near Mull of Galloway, fair later. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor at first near Mull of Galloway.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5. Smooth or slight. Mainly fair. Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point
24 hour forecast: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 2 later in south. 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. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later 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: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in south. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth east of skye. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5. 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: Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 3 at first in south. Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5. 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 2 to 4, increasing 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in west. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland
Valid Saturday 23 May 2026 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 23 May 2026 at 1200 UTC
General situation: A southwesterly flow will affect Shetland Waters with a trough spreading northeast across the area tonight.
Forecast: South or southwest 2 to 4, occasionally 5 later. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 23 May until 0000 UTC on Sunday 24 May: Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in west. Moderate, but slight just east of shetland. Occasional rain. Good, occasionally moderate.
Channel Islands
24 hour forecast: South to southwest 2 to 4, soon veering west to northwest 3 to 4, then northwest to north 2 to 3 by mid-morning, locally 4 at times. Smooth or slight, with a low swell. Risk of mist or fog patches in the west, gradually spreading eastward. Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: North 2 to 3, locally 4 at times, soon veering northeast. Smooth or slight, with a low swell. Risk of mist or fog patches near french coast at first. Good, perhaps locally poor or very poor.