Coast and sea
General situation
A strong southwesterly airflow across the United Kingdom, with gales or severe gales affecting most areas, will veer more westerly and gradually ease. Remaining unsettled with squally showers, which will be wintry at times around some northern coasts. Strong winds and further rain will return to northern and western waters from Saturday night.
Issued at:
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore for the period to
Inshore waters forecast and strong winds map
Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney (1)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 later in north.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough to the west and north of Orkney, slight or moderate in Moray Firth, but elsewhere moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, backing southerly later.
- Sea state
- To the west and north of Orkney, rough or very rough becoming moderate or rough, but elsewhere, slight, occasionally moderate in north and east.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps squally at first, rain later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest, veering west for a time later, 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first and 4 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, wintry at times and squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, then increasing 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 to 6, veering west later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, perhaps wintry at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 or 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming smooth at times near shore.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 6 or 7 decreasing 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 4 or 5 becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4, then southwesterly 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, veering northwesterly 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later.
- Weather
- Rain then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 to 5 becoming variable 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first, veering northwest 4 or 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first and slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times mainly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later near shore.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 4 to 6, occasionally 7 until later, veering northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- In east, moderate or rough, occasionally slight later, but in west, rough or very rough, occasionally high at first near Isles of Scilly.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest backing west or southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- In far west, moderate or rough, occasionally very rough at first, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, veering northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough in north and later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4 backing west or southwest 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally slight in east and rough in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 to gale 8 decreasing 4 to 6, veering northwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate later in north.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest backing southwest, 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 to gale 8, veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly backing southwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 5 or 6 later in north.
- Sea state
- Slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Isle of Man (12)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 6 or 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, decreasing 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight later.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West 3 to 5, backing southwest 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight, becoming moderate later.
- Weather
- Mainly fair, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 to gale 8 veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in north.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate except in far north.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in far north, but elsewhere slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight for a time in south.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 6 to gale 8 veering westerly or northwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough near Mull of Kintyre and at first elsewhere in North Channel, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, squally at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first, increasing 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight until later to the north and east of arran, otherwise slight occasionally moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally 4 in south and gale 8 in north, backing southwesterly 4 to 6 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough or high until later in west, otherwise rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in east and very rough at first in west.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, veering west or northwest 6 to gale 8 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in central areas, otherwise moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first near entrances, becoming moderate or rough later.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 to 7, veering west or northwest 6 to gale 8 for a time, then occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally high to the west of the Outer Hebrides.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 4 to 6, backing south or southwest 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in east.
- Weather
- Showers, rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- High at first in west, otherwise rough or very rough, becoming moderate at times in east.
- Weather
- Squally wintry showers.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Strong wind warning
Valid Friday 13 Mar 2026 at 0600 UTC until Friday 13 Mar 2026 at 1800 UTC
General situation
A low, just NE of Iceland, will maintain a strong, unstable generally southwesterly flow over Shetland Waters.
Forecast
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first
- Sea state
- High at first in west, otherwise rough or very rough, but moderate in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Squally showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1800 UTC on Friday 13 Mar until 0600 UTC on Saturday 14 Mar
- Wind
- West or southwest 5 or 6, occasionally 7 at first
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, but moderate in well sheltered eastern waters
- Weather
- Squally showers
- Visibility
- Mainly good
Channel Islands (19)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 5 to 6, locally 7 with gusts to 45kt at first, decreasing 4 to 5 by dusk, locally 6, veering northwest by midnight.
- Sea state
- Rather rough to rough, locally very rough in the west at first, decreasing moderate to rather rough with a moderate swell later.
- Weather
- Rain, locally heavy, soon clearing to showers, locally heavy with hail, especially later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- North to northwest 4 to 5, decreasing 3 to 4 by midday, backing west to southwest later.
- Sea state
- Slight to moderate with a moderate swell, decreasing smooth or slight with a low swell later.
- Weather
- Risk of showers at first and again later, then risk of patchy rain after midnight.
- Visibility
- Good, perhaps occasionally moderate.
The 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.
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