Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

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IDT15123

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Tasmania

Coastal Waters Forecast
Bass Strait and Approaches

Issued at 10:00 pm EDT on Thursday 19 March 2026
for the period until midnight EDT Sunday 22 March 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

A ridge of high pressure over Tasmania will persist over the coming days, with a weak cold front to clip the south of the state on Saturday morning. The high centre will move into the Tasman Sea on Sunday and direct a northerly flow over Tasmania, ahead of another cold front that is expected to weaken and stall over Tasmania during Monday.

Central Coast: Cape Otway to Wilsons Promontory

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: South to southeasterly below 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres in the far west. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres in the west. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres in the west. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Easterly 10 to 15 knots tending northeasterly during the morning then becoming variable about 10 knots during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres in the west. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Central Gippsland Coast: Wilsons Promontory to Lakes Entrance

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southwesterly below 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: West to southwesterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon then becoming variable about 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: West to southwesterly about 10 knots becoming south to southeasterly in the late afternoon then becoming east to northeasterly in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

East Gippsland Coast: Lakes Entrance to 60nm east of Gabo Island

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southerly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm in the far east.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southerly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southerly around 1 metre. Weather: Cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Northeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Far North West Coast: Sandy Cape to Stanley

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 2 to 2.5 metres south of King Island. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: West to southwesterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the middle of the day. Winds reaching up to 20 knots inshore in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending south to southeasterly in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 3 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning north to northwesterly below 10 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 3 metres, decreasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Central North Coast: Stanley to Northern Tip of Flinders Island

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Northwest to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming west to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the middle of the day then tending west to southwesterly in the evening. Winds reaching up to 20 knots offshore in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Northwest to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots in the early morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, decreasing below 0.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: East to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning north to northwesterly below 10 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Cloudy.

Banks Strait and Franklin Sound

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: East to northeasterly below 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southerly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming west to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon then decreasing to below 10 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southerly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Variable below 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Northwest to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning northerly during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Northwest to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:30 am EDT Friday.

* 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.