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 9:30 am CST on Wednesday 20 May 2026
for the period until midnight CST Friday 22 May 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 high pressure system over SA will remain dominant as it slowly moves east and into the Tasman Sea on Friday. A cold front will moves across the Bight on Saturday.

Far West Coast: WA-SA Border to Fowlers Bay

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots in the early afternoon then becoming east to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the late afternoon. Winds reaching up to 20 knots offshore in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Cloud clearing.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: North to northeasterly 15 to 20 knots tending east to northeasterly in the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: Northeasterly 15 to 20 knots tending northerly 15 to 25 knots during the morning. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Upper West Coast: Fowlers Bay to Elliston

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending northerly in the morning then turning east to northeasterly in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending northerly 15 to 20 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Lower West Coast: Elliston to Cape Carnot

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: West to northwesterly about 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: North to northeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the early morning then tending east to northeasterly in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending northerly 15 to 20 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Central Coast

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: West to southwesterly about 10 knots becoming northwesterly in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: North to northwesterly about 10 knots tending north to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the morning. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: Northeasterly 15 to 20 knots tending northerly during the morning. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres in the west. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

South Central Coast

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable below 10 knots in the late afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: North to northwesterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the morning then tending north to northeasterly in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: Northeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning northerly 15 to 20 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Upper South East Coast: Murray Mouth to Cape Jaffa

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots decreasing to about 10 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

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

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots south of Port MacDonnell in the late morning. Winds decreasing to about 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: West to southwesterly below 10 knots becoming north to northwesterly before dawn. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Spencer Gulf

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: West to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending south to southwesterly in the morning then becoming variable about 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming east to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Cloud clearing.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Port Neill to Port Victoria. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Gulf St Vincent

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable below 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: Variable below 10 knots becoming easterly 10 to 15 knots in the evening then tending northeasterly in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southeast to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Becoming cloudy.

Investigator Strait

Forecast for Wednesday 20 May until midnight

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable below 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres inshore. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Thursday 21 May

Winds: East to southeasterly below 10 knots becoming north to northeasterly before dawn then tending east to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the evening. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 22 May

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Becoming cloudy.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 3:30 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.