Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

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IDQ11292

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland

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

Issued at 3:00 pm EST on Thursday 9 April 2026
for the period until midnight EST Sunday 12 April 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 extends over the north Queensland waters. Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila [947 hPa] in the Solomon Sea is forecast to move southwest from Friday, approaching Far North Queensland from Monday.

Torres Strait

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 10 April

Winds: South to southeasterly about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: South to southeasterly about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: South to southwesterly about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Peninsula Coast: Sharp Point to Cape Melville

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

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

Forecast for Friday 10 April

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

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Swell: Southeasterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: Southeast to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to southeasterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1.5 to 2.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Cooktown Coast: Cape Melville to Cape Tribulation

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 20 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres outside the reef, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres later in the evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 10 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots south of Cooktown early in the morning and again in the late evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: Southeasterly 20 to 25 knots turning southerly 15 to 20 knots during the afternoon and evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: Southerly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Cairns Coast: Cape Tribulation to Cardwell

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots offshore north of Cairns in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: Easterly 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 10 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres outside the reef, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres later in the evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers.

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres around midday. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 2 metres outside the reef, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Swell: East to northeasterly 2 to 3 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Townsville Coast: Cardwell to Bowen

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 2 metres. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 10 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots offshore south of Cape Bowling Green in the late afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres outside the reef. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the morning. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres outside the reef during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Northeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Mackay Coast: Bowen to St Lawrence

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres offshore north of Hamilton Island. Swell: Below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 10 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Easterly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending northeast to southeasterly in the late evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the day then tending easterly during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Great Barrier Reef Offshore Waters

Forecast for Thursday 9 April until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 20 to 25 knots. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres. Swell: East to northeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres north of Creal Reef. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 10 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres through the Capricorn Channel. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 11 April

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots decreasing to about 10 knots in the late evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: East to northeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1 to 2 metres through the Capricorn Channel. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 12 April

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the morning then tending easterly during the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Northeasterly 1 to 2 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 9:00 pm EST Thursday.

* 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.