WEATHER BULLETIN FOR THE HIGH SEAS FOR METAREA VII.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE ON THE
23rd OF MAY 2026 AT 13:30 UTC.
FOR SOUTH-EAST SECTOR OF METAREA. VII, PREPARED BY REUNION, SEE AREA 2
BELOW.
NOTE: WX OBSERVATIONS.
======================
COULD ALL VESSELS EXPERIENCING UNEXPECTED, SEVERE WX/SEA STATE PLEASE
MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO REPORT THIS TO SAWS VIA CAPE TOWN RADIO.
AREA 1:
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FORECAST VALID FROM 232200 TO 242200 UTC:
WIND IN KNOTS, WAVE HEIGHTS IN METERS. NO SEA STATE GIVEN IF WAVES LESS THAN 3M.
NOTE THE WIND SPEEDS QUOTED HERE ARE THE EXPECTED AVERAGE SPEEDS.
INDIVIDUAL GUSTS MAY EXCEED THESE VALUES BY A FACTOR OF UP TO 1.5.
WAVE HEIGHTS ARE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS, WHICH MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY INDIVIDUAL WAVES 1.5 TO 2.0 TIMES HIGHER.
GALE FORCE WARNINGS:
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1. TRISTAN : SW 35 in the south-west from mid-period.
SYNOPTIC CHART 12:00Z
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High 1023 hPa 31s10e, High 1025 hPa 35s50e
Low 1009 hPa 43s39e
1. Cold Front: 33s01w 40s11e 49s22e 57s30e 62s30e into 61s22e.
AREA FORECAST:
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ASCENSION (06S/15S, 00E/20W):
WIND : SE to E 10 to 15.
VIS : Good.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the west, with SE swell.
ANGOLA (06S/15S, 00E/00N):
WIND : S to SE 10 to 15, but SW 05 to 15 in the east.
VIS : Good.
ST HELENA (15S/30S, 00E/20W):
WIND : N to NW 10 to 15 in places in the south, otherwise variable 05 to
10.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in places in the south.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m except in the north-east, with SW swell.
TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST):
WIND : Anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the south-west, otherwise SE to S 10 to
20.
VIS : Good.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the south-west, with SW swell.
TRISTAN (30S/40S, 00E/20W) :
WIND : variable 05 to 10 in the north-east, otherwise W to NW 15 to 25
reaching 30 in the south. It will become SW 25 to 35 in the south-
west from mid-period spreading to the south-east towards the end
of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain clearing in the west from
mid-period.
SEA STATE: 4.0 to 5.0m, reaching 5.5 to 6.5m in the south but 7.5m in
the south-west towards the end of the period, with SW to W swell.
CAPE WEST (30S/40S, 00E/20E):
WIND : NW to W 20 to 30 in the south-east until mid-period and in the
south-west from mid-period, otherwise anticyclonic 05 to 15, but
SW 10 to 20 in the south until mid-period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in places in the south.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m except in the north-east, reaching 4.5m to 5.5m in the
south-west until mid-period, with W to NW swell.
CAPE EAST (32.5S/40S, 20E/50E):
WIND : N to NW 15 to 25, but SW to W 15 to 25 in the south-east. It will
become anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the west towards the end of the
period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
east, and moderate in showers and rain in the south-west from mid-
period.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the extreme east and in the south-west, with SW to S
swell.
DURBAN EAST (32.5S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : NE to E 10 to 20 in the north-central parts, otherwise variable 05
to 10.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
Western and central parts.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m in the extreme east, with S to SE swell.
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL:
WIND : S to SE 05 to 15, but SW 05 to 15 in the south-east from mid-
period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain the north.
MADAGASCAR EAST (10S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : S to SE 15 to 25 in the north, but NE to E 10 to 20 in the south.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the north and south-
west.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the south spreading to the north from mid-period, with S
to SE swell.
MARION FORTIES EAST (40S/50S, 35E/50E):
WIND : Cyclonic 20 to 30 in the north at first, otherwise NW to W 15 to
25.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the north-east until
mid-period and in the south-west from mid-period.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the north-east, but 3.0 to 4.0m in the south-west towards
mid-period, with W to SW swell.
AREA 2:
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MARINE METEOROLOGICAL BULLETIN FROM METEO-FRANCE/LA REUNION ON AREA ACK (AMSTERDAM-CROZET-KERGUELEN)
2026/05/23 AT 0600UTC
AVERAGED WIND SPEED ON BEAUFORT SCALE. (Wind gusts may be about 40% stronger than the averages given here).
PART 1: WARNING
- Strong gale (force 9) over AMS and KER.
- Gale (force 8) over WAM and CRO at first.
PART 2: GENERAL SYNOPSIS, 26/05/23 AT 0000UTC
- Low 977 hPa near 45S/73E, moving eastward with cold front axis 30S/65E, 40S/79E, 50S/76E.
- High 1025 hPa west of WAM moving slowly eastward.
PART 3: FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 26/05/23 at 0600UTC to 26/05/24 at 0600UTC
WAM (30S/40S, 50E/65E)
Rain over eastern at first and over south-western at end
WIND : South-west 7 to 8 over eastern area with strong gusts at first
becoming anticlockwise 3 to 4 from western area then North 5 to 6 over
south-western at end.
SEA : Very rough to high becoming rough to very rough from the west. South-
westerly swell 5 to 6 m abating 3 to 4 m from the west.
VIS : Poor in precipitation.
AMS (30S/40S, 65E/80E)
Rain, showers and thunderstorms with CF.
WIND : Westerly 7/8 locally 9 at first then south-westerly 7/8. Strong gusts.
SEA : Very rough to high. South-westerly swell 4 to 6 m.
VIS : Poor to very poor.
CRO (40S/50S, 50E/65E)
Rain or snow with CF over eastern at first and with CG over western at end.
WIND : South-west 7 to 8 over eastern area with strong gusts at first
becoming anticlockwise 3 to 4 from western area then North-east 5 to 6
over north-western at end.
SEA : Rough to very rough locally high over North-Eastern area at first then
moderate to rough from the west. South-westerly swell 3 to 5 m abating
2 to 3 m from the west soon.
VIS : Poor to very poor in the rain.
KER (40S/50S, 65E/80E)
Showers and squalls, followed by rain or snow with CF.
WIND : South 7 to 8 locally 9 at first. Strong gusts.
SEA : Very rough to high. Westerly swell 4 to 6 m.
VIS : Poor to very poor.