Coast and sea
General situation
The current west to northwesterly airflow will gradually become light and variable across much of the British inshore waters during the next 24 hours. Early showers will die away but Atlantic fronts will encroach from the west, bringing spells of rain or drizzle to western and southern areas.
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)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate to north and west of Orkney, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Mainly cyclonic 2 to 4, but becoming westerly 4 or 5 for a time in south and variable 3 or less for a time in north.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, increasing 4 at times.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- North or northwest 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then becoming west or northwest 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming west or northwest 3 or 4 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Showers then fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, occasionally 4 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Fair then showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first near eastern Norfolk, then becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwesterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then occasionally 4 again later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming westerly or southwesterly 4 or 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less, becoming southwesterly 3 to 5 for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 to 5 veering northwest 2 to 4, then backing west or southwest again later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, then rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest veering northwest, 2 to 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly, backing southwesterly at times in east, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in west.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, becoming variable 2 to 4 later in east.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight in east, slight or moderate in west.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in Bristol Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight at first in east, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle for a time later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable 2 or less for a time in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in east.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest backing south or southwest, 2 to 4, veering northwest 3 to 5 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later in south.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first, then becoming variable 3 or less for a time.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, then rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4, becoming variable 2 at times in Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth, increasing 5 at times elsewhere.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Occasional rain or drizzle, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Variable, becoming northwest later, 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Fair, then rain and drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Slight.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 2 to 4 becoming variable 3 or less, then occasionally 4 again later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far north, but elsewhere smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 2 to 4, becoming northwesterly 3 to 5 for a time except in far south.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in far north, otherwise slight, occasionally smooth in south.
- Weather
- Occasional drizzle, then mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4 becoming variable 3 or less.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers then fair, then rain or drizzle later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Variable 3 or less becoming westerly or northwesterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first in North Channel.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times, mainly at first.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4 becoming variable 2 or less, then cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight to the east of Islay and Jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first, becoming moderate or poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west or northwest, 2 to 4, backing southwest 2 or 3 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight to the east of Islay and Jura, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
The Minch (16)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing south or southwest 2 or 3, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in far north, otherwise smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west or southwest, 2 to 4, backing south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West 3 or 4 backing south or southwest 2 or 3, becoming cyclonic 2 to 4 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight near Sutherland.
- Weather
- Showers, then rain or drizzle.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first and poor later.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Cyclonic becoming west or southwest, 2 to 4, backing south or southwest 3 or 4 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight near Sutherland, but elsewhere slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Drizzle at times.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first and moderate later.
Shetland Isles (18)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in north, west and south, smooth or slight in east.
- Weather
- Showers, becoming fair later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Monday 28 Jul 2025 at 1200 UTC until Tuesday 29 Jul 2025 at 0000 UTC
General situation
Northwesterly flow covers Shetland Waters. Weak ridge of high pressure will gradually build from the west later.
Forecast
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Moderate, but smooth or slight east of Shetland
- Weather
- Showers
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
Outlook for 12 Hours from 0000 UTC on Tuesday 29 Jul until 1200 UTC on Tuesday 29 Jul
- Wind
- Northwest 2 to 4
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, but smooth east of Shetland
- Weather
- Fair
- Visibility
- Good
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or northwest 3 or 4.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, with a low swell.
- Weather
- Risk of isolated showers, then patchy rain from mid-morning.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4 at first, soon veering west or northwest 4 or 5, decreasing 3 or 4 again overnight.
- Sea state
- Slight, occasionally moderate in the west on Tuesday evening.
- Weather
- Patchy rain until early evening.
- Visibility
- Good, 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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