Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

Marine (lite) Home

IDQ10860

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland

Great Barrier Reef Offshore Waters Forecast: Bowen to Yeppoon

Issued at 9:00 am EST on Monday 5 January 2026
for the period until midnight EST Wednesday 7 January 2026.

Please be aware
Wind and wave forecasts are averages. Wind gusts can be 40 per cent stronger than the forecast, and stronger still in squalls and thunderstorms. Maximum waves can be twice the forecast height.

Warning Information

For latest warnings go to www.bom.gov.au, subscribe to RSS feeds, call 1300 659 210* or listen for warnings on relevant TV and radio broadcasts.

Weather Situation

Onshore winds will continue converging around a trough that will shift slowly north along the coast between Proserpine and Cairns for the next few days. Tropical low 12U is likely develop along the trough in the north Coral Sea from Tuesday. The trough will deepen into the monsoon trough from around Wednesday.

Forecast for Monday 5 January until midnight

Winds: Easterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots north of Creal Reef during the day. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Creal Reef. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre. Weather: Cloudy. 60% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm north of Creal Reef in the afternoon and evening.

Forecast for Tuesday 6 January

Winds: Easterly 10 to 15 knots turning southeasterly 15 to 20 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm north of Creal Reef in the early morning.

Forecast for Wednesday 7 January

Winds: Southeasterly 20 to 30 knots turning easterly during the evening. Seas: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: East to southeasterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Creal Reef during the evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 2:50 pm EST Monday.

* Calls to 1300 numbers cost around 27.5c incl. GST, higher from mobiles or public phones. Marine forecasts are also available on VHF and HF radio. View the radio schedule on www.bom.gov.au/marine

Check the latest Coastal Waters Forecasts for information on wind, wave and weather conditions for neighbouring coastal zones.