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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 3:40 am CDT on Tuesday 18 November 2025
for the period until midnight CDT Thursday 20 November 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 ridge of high pressure lies over the north and west directing a broad southwest to southerly flow across SA waters. Troughs are forecast to pass over the southeast today and Wednesday. The flow will turn south to southeasterly through the week as the ridge moves southeast on Thursday to be south of the state on Friday.

Far West Coast: WA-SA Border to Fowlers Bay

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Variable below 10 knots becoming west to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the middle of the day then turning southerly in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 0.5 metres, increasing to around 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: South to southeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 15 to 20 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre, decreasing below 0.5 metres around midday, then increasing to around 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: East to southeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres, tending southerly 2 to 3 metres during the morning. Weather: Cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Upper West Coast: Fowlers Bay to Elliston

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming west to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the morning then tending south to southwesterly in the late afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southerly below 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the middle of the day. Seas: Below 0.5 metres, increasing to around 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 3 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Lower West Coast: Elliston to Cape Carnot

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly in the late afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots turning southeasterly 15 to 25 knots during the morning. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Central Coast

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly in the late afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then decreasing below 1 metre later in the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly in the late evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots turning southeasterly 15 to 20 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1.5 metres in the west during the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 4 metres during the morning. Weather: Cloudy.

South Central Coast

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly in the evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre later in the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southwesterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 4 metres later in the evening. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning southeasterly 15 to 20 knots during the day. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 3 to 4 metres, decreasing to 3 metres during the evening. Weather: Cloudy.

Upper South East Coast: Murray Mouth to Cape Jaffa

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots offshore in the early afternoon. Winds turning southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: West to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending south to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots during the day. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the evening. Swell: Southwesterly 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 4 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

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

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 2 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 3 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 60% chance of showers.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots south of Port MacDonnell in the afternoon. Winds turning southwesterly in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres south of Beachport. Swell: Southwesterly 3 metres, increasing to 3 to 4 metres during the afternoon. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: South to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots tending south to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the day. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to 1 metre during the morning. Swell: Southwesterly 4 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Spencer Gulf

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 10 to 15 knots turning south to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Cowell to Wallaroo by early evening. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly 15 to 20 knots in the early afternoon. Winds reaching up to 25 knots north of Cowell to Wallaroo during the afternoon and evening. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the afternoon. 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 20 November

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southeasterly 15 to 25 knots during the day. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres north of Cowell to Wallaroo during the evening. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Gulf St Vincent

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots south of Port Vincent to Brighton in the afternoon. Winds turning southwesterly in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly 15 to 20 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southeasterly during the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the evening. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Investigator Strait

Forecast for Tuesday 18 November until midnight

Winds: Westerly 15 to 20 knots turning southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres around midday, then decreasing to 1 metre later in the evening. Swell: West to southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to around 1 metre by early evening. Weather: Cloudy.

Forecast for Wednesday 19 November

Winds: Southwesterly about 10 knots increasing to 15 to 20 knots in the morning. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Thursday 20 November

Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending south to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots during the morning. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres inshore during the evening. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres through the Backstairs Passage. Weather: Cloudy.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 9:30 am CDT Tuesday.

* 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.