Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

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IDS11072

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
South Australia

Coastal Waters Forecast for South Australia

Issued at 10:00 am CST on Wednesday 18 September 2024
for the period until midnight CST Friday 20 September 2024.

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 strong high pressure system is centred near the SA/NSW border. This system will move slowly eastwards to be centred over the Tasman Sea later today. A trough and cold front will move across SA late today into tomorrow, followed by multiple fronts across the south on Friday and Saturday. A high pressure system will move across from the west on Sunday ahead of another cold front early to mid next week.

Far West Coast: WA-SA Border to Fowlers Bay

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots shifting south to southwesterly in the early afternoon. Winds reaching up to 20 knots offshore in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: South to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots decreasing to about 10 knots in the evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre around midday. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: South to southwesterly about 10 knots tending westerly 10 to 15 knots during the morning then tending southwesterly during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 5 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Upper West Coast: Fowlers Bay to Elliston

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: North to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots shifting south to southwesterly in the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly 10 to 15 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then decreasing to 1 metre around midday. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres around midday. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Streaky Bay during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 5 metres during the morning. Weather: Cloudy.

Lower West Coast: Elliston to Cape Carnot

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: Northwesterly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing below 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: Southwesterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres, increasing to 2.5 to 4 metres by early evening. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 4 to 5 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 60% chance of showers.

Central Coast

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: Northwesterly 15 to 20 knots turning west to southwesterly in the early afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: Southwesterly 15 to 25 knots turning westerly 15 to 20 knots in the late evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres, increasing to 2.5 to 4 metres around midday. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 4 to 6 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 70% chance of showers.

South Central Coast

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Strong Wind Warning for Wednesday for South Central Coast

Winds: West to northwesterly 20 to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots in the late morning. Winds tending west to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots in the afternoon. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing below 1.5 metres later in the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Sunny, becoming cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Strong Wind Warning for Thursday for South Central Coast

Winds: Southwesterly 15 to 20 knots turning westerly 20 to 25 knots early in the morning. Winds reaching up to 30 knots in the late morning and early afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 5 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 5 to 6 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 80% chance of showers.

Upper South East Coast: Murray Mouth to Cape Jaffa

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: West to northwesterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots south of Salt Creek in the late morning and early afternoon. Winds tending west to southwesterly in the late afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres south of Salt Creek. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Sunny morning, cloudy afternoon. 50% chance of showers.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Strong Wind Warning for Thursday for Upper South East Coast

Winds: Southwesterly 15 to 20 knots turning westerly 20 to 25 knots in the morning. Winds reaching up to 30 knots during the morning and early afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 5 metres by early evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. 60% chance of showers.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 5 to 6 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 90% chance of showers.

Lower South East Coast: Cape Jaffa to SA-VIC Border

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Strong Wind Warning for Wednesday for Lower South East Coast

Winds: West to northwesterly 20 to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots in the late morning and early afternoon. Winds tending west to southwesterly 15 to 25 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: 2.5 to 3 metres, decreasing to 1.5 to 2 metres by early evening. Swell: Southwesterly 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 4 metres south of Beachport. Weather: Becoming cloudy. 90% chance of showers.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Gale Warning for Thursday for Lower South East Coast

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots, reaching up to 35 knots south of Port MacDonnell in the late morning. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 3 to 4 metres, increasing to 4 to 6 metres around midday. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 6 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 90% chance of showers.

Spencer Gulf

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: Northwesterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots north of Cowell to Wallaroo during the day. Winds turning west to southwesterly in the late morning and early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: Southwesterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots near the Yorke Peninsula coast in the late morning and early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres around midday, then increasing to 1 to 2 metres later in the evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres near the Yorke Peninsula coast. Swell: South to southwesterly 1 to 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Gulf St Vincent

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: Northwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning westerly 15 to 20 knots in the middle of the day. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: West to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots south of Port Vincent to Brighton in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Cloudy. 60% chance of showers.

Investigator Strait

Forecast for Wednesday 18 September until midnight

Winds: West to northwesterly 15 to 20 knots tending west to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon and evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 19 September

Winds: West to southwesterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: West to southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to around 1 metre during the morning, then increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 September

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots, increasing to 20 to 25 knots during the morning. Winds reaching up to 30 knots during the late afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. Swell: West to southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the morning. Weather: Cloudy. 70% chance of showers.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 3:50 pm CST Wednesday.

* 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.