Coast and sea
General situation
Deep areas of low pressure tracking northeast near Iceland will bring a strong to gale force southwesterly airflow across much of the United Kingdom. However moderate winds are expected in many southern and eastern waters on Saturday. Severe gales are then likely to develop across some northern and western waters during Sunday, with a risk of storms later in the northwest.
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
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in northwest, decreasing 4 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest, becoming slight or moderate in south.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, backing southeasterly 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwesterly later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far north and later in far east.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed (2)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 at first in north.
- Sea state
- Rough at first in north, otherwise slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 4 or 5, backing southerly or southeasterly 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 in north.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later in north.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby (3)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate becoming slight.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 6 to gale 8.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Whitby to Gibraltar Point (4)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South veering southwest, 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming smooth or slight.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming moderate.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
Gibraltar Point to North Foreland (5)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 or 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight, occasionally moderate at first near northeast Norfolk.
- Weather
- Rain at times, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 or 4, backing southerly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight becoming slight or moderate, occasionally rough later in east.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor.
North Foreland to Selsey Bill (6)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4, then westerly or southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in far west, becoming smooth at times in far east.
- Weather
- Occasional rain, fair later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5, backing southerly 5 or 6, occasionally 7 later, perhaps gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis (7)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- West or southwest 3 or 4, occasionally 2 at first.
- Sea state
- Moderate, occasionally rough at first.
- Weather
- Rain at first in east, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor at first.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 3 or 4, backing south 5 or 6, increasing 7 or gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming mainly rough.
- Weather
- Rain later.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally poor later.
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly (8)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southwesterly 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in east and very rough in west.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6 later in west.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west and also later in east.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor later.
Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel (9)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest, veering west for a time in Bristol Channel, 3 to 5.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight in Bristol Channel and very rough in far southwest and at first near St Davids Head.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 for a time.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough in east, rough or very rough in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel (10)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first near Anglesey and then later in west.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate in far northeast, otherwise moderate occasionally rough.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9 for a time.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in far northeast, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming very rough at times in west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor.
Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway (11)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming smooth or slight in southeast.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwest 6 or 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in north.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, showers later.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Isle of Man (12)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- South or southwest 4 or 5, increasing gale 8 or severe gale 9, decreasing 6 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Rain for a time.
- Visibility
- Good, becoming moderate or poor for a time.
Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough (13)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, occasionally rough in northwest.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 in east, veering southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight at first in south, otherwise moderate or rough, becoming very rough at times in east.
- Weather
- Fair the rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel (14)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 4 to 6.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate.
- Weather
- Showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, perhaps storm 10 in North Channel, veering southwesterly 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough occasionally very rough.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point (15)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- Southerly or southwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in north, decreasing 4 at times in south.
- Sea state
- Rough, occasionally moderate in east and very rough in west.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southerly 4 to 6, increasing 7 to severe gale 9, veering southwesterly 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, occasionally moderate in shelter, becoming high at times in northwest.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
The Minch (16)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Mainly slight just northeast of skye, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in far southwest.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, backing south gale 8 to storm 10, veering southwest 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Moderate or rough, occasionally slight at first then becoming very rough at times.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath (17)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough.
- Weather
- Squally showers.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest 5 to 7, backing south gale 8 to storm 10, veering southwest 7 to severe gale 9 later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming very rough or high in south and west.
- Weather
- Fair then rain, squally showers later.
- Visibility
- Moderate or good, occasionally poor.
Shetland Isles (18)
Strong winds are forecast
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South or southwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 5 at times later.
- Sea state
- Rough or very rough, becoming moderate or rough east of Shetland.
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Good.
For Coastal areas up to 60 nautical miles from Lerwick, Shetland (18)
Valid Saturday 22 Feb 2025 at 0000 UTC until Saturday 22 Feb 2025 at 1200 UTC
General situation
Deep low complex lies near Iceland and maintains the brisk southwesterly airflow.
Forecast
- Wind
- South 6 to gale 8, veering southwest 5 to 7, then backing south 6 to gale 8 later.
- Sea state
- Very rough, occasionally high at first, but rough in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Occasional rain, becoming fair soon.
- Visibility
- Good occasionally moderate at first.
Outlook for 12 Hours from 1200 UTC on Saturday 22 Feb until 0000 UTC on Sunday 23 Feb
- Wind
- South or southwest 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first.
- Sea state
- Very rough, but rough in lee shelter of shetland
- Weather
- Mainly fair.
- Visibility
- Mainly good.
Channel Islands (19)
24 hour forecast:
- Wind
- South to southwest 2 to 4, veering southwest to west by dawn, backing southwest to south later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell.
- Weather
- Rain and drizzle, locally heavy, in the east of the area clearing by midnight mist and fog patches and a risk of isolated showers, clearing by dawn.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate to poor, perhaps very poor.
Outlook for the following 24 hours:
- Wind
- Southwest to south 2 to 4, backing southerly 4 to 6 by morning, increasing 5 to 7 later.
- Sea state
- Smooth or slight with a low to moderate swell, increasing rather rough to rough, perhaps very rough mid-channel.
- Weather
- Occasional rain from evening.
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate later.
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.
Caution: The internet is not part of the Maritime Safety Information system and should never be relied upon as the only means to obtain the latest forecast and warning information. Access to the service may be interrupted or delayed from time to time, updates may also be delayed.
Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. When using these web pages, always check that the page on your screen is not from your cache. Use the Refresh or Reload button if in any doubt.