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 9:56 pm CDT on Thursday 19 March 2026
for the period until midnight CDT 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 will persist across the state. The high pressure centre will become established in the Tasman Sea over the weekend ahead of a cold front early next week.

Far West Coast: WA-SA Border to Fowlers Bay

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: East to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots in the middle of the day then becoming east to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: East to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots decreasing to below 10 knots during the day then tending east to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1.5 metres during the evening. Weather: Sunny.

Upper West Coast: Fowlers Bay to Elliston

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots inshore. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres inshore. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Lower West Coast: Elliston to Cape Carnot

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Central Coast

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres. Weather: Clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots turning southerly in the late morning and afternoon then tending southeasterly in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

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

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

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

South Central Coast

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

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

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: East to southeasterly about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable below 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Upper South East Coast: Murray Mouth to Cape Jaffa

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending southerly in the middle of the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

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

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

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: East to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Southwesterly 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the morning. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

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

Spencer Gulf

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending southeast to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots in the middle of the day. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: South to southwesterly below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cowell to Wallaroo. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending south to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots in the middle of the day then tending south to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the late evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Cowell to Wallaroo during the afternoon. Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Port Neill to Port Victoria. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots during the morning then becoming south to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the 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: Sunny.

Gulf St Vincent

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots near the Yorke Peninsula coast. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Port Vincent to Brighton. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable below 10 knots in the morning then becoming southerly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable below 10 knots becoming southerly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon then becoming southeasterly below 10 knots during the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 0.5 metres. Weather: Sunny.

Investigator Strait

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots tending southeast to southwesterly in the late afternoon then tending southeasterly in the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

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

The next routine forecast will be issued at 3:40 am CDT 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.