Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

Marine (lite) Home

IDQ11292

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland

Coastal Waters Forecast for Queensland
Northern Zones: Torres Strait to St Lawrence

Issued at 4:45 am EST on Sunday 28 September 2025
for the period until midnight EST Tuesday 30 September 2025.

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

A weak ridge will persist over the North Queensland Waters as a high moves eastwards across the Tasman Sea. A trough well offshore in the northern Coral Sea will drift towards the tropical east coast today, before pushing southeastward and away from the Queensland coast during the early days next week.

Torres Strait

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots inshore in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots offshore east of Cape York in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Peninsula Coast: Sharp Point to Cape Melville

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre around midday, then increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Cooktown Coast: Cape Melville to Cape Tribulation

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Cooktown. Swell: East to southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Cooktown. Swell: East to southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Cooktown. Swell: East to southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Cairns Coast: Cape Tribulation to Cardwell

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots decreasing to about 10 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre outside the reef, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon, then decreasing to around 1 metre by early evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: South to southeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the early morning. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots decreasing to about 10 knots during the day then tending east to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Sunny.

Townsville Coast: Cardwell to Bowen

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning easterly in the early afternoon. Inshore afternoon east to northeasterly sea breezes 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre outside the reef, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then tending east to northeasterly around 1 metre by early evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: South to southeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the morning then tending east to southeasterly in the early afternoon. Inshore afternoon east to northeasterly sea breezes 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning easterly during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre outside the reef. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Mackay Coast: Bowen to St Lawrence

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: East to southeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the morning then decreasing to about 10 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending east to southeasterly in the early afternoon then decreasing to about 10 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre offshore, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore during the afternoon. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Great Barrier Reef Offshore Waters

Forecast for Sunday 28 September until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the morning. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to northeasterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres through the Capricorn Channel. Weather: Cloudy. 90% chance of showers.

Forecast for Monday 29 September

Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning, then tending east to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres by early evening. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Tuesday 30 September

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Northeast to southeasterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres through the Capricorn Channel. Weather: Partly cloudy.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 3:50 pm EST Sunday.

* 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.