WEATHER BULLETIN FOR THE HIGH SEAS FOR METAREA VII.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE ON THE
18TH OF JANUARY 2026 AT 17:30 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 182200 TO 192200 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. TRADES: S to SE 35 in the south-east until mid-period.
2. CAPE EAST: N to NW 35 in the south-east at first.
3. DURBAN EAST: SW to S 35 to 40 in the north-west.
4. MARION FORTIES EAST: NW to N 35 in the extreme east at first, but W to
SW 35 to 40 in the west, drifting to the south-
east by mid-period.
SYNOPTIC CHART 12:00Z
=====================
High 1028 hPa 35s12w, High 1024 hPa 44s60e
Low 992 hPa 49s34e.
1. Cold Front: 30s34e 39s37e 50s33e into 49s34e.
AREA FORECAST:
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ASCENSION (06S/15S, 00E/20W):
WIND : SE to E 10 to 20.
VIS : Good.
ANGOLA (06S/15S, 00E/00N):
WIND : S to SE 05 to 15, but SW 05 to 15 in the east.
VIS : Good.
ST HELENA (15S/30S, 00E/20W):
WIND : E to SE 10 to 20 reaching 25 in the east.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the west.
TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST):
WIND : S to SE 15 to 25, reaching 30 in places in the east but 35 in
the south-east until mid-period.
VIS : Good.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m, with SE swell.
TRISTAN (30S/40S, 00E/20W):
WIND : Anticyclonic 05 to 15, but NW 10 to 20 in the south-west.
VIS : Good.
CAPE WEST (30S/40S, 00E/20E):
WIND : S to SE 10 to 20 reaching 25 to 30 in the north-east.
VIS : Good, but moderate in rain and showers in the extreme south-
east at first.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m in the east, with S to SW swell.
CAPE EAST (32.5S/40S, 20E/50E):
WIND : N to NW 15 to 25 in the south-east reaching 30 to 35 at first
and in the south-west, drifting to the south-central by mid-
period, otherwise W to SW 15 to 25 reaching 30 in places,
becoming Anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the east by the end of the
period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in east, and
in the south-west, spreading to the south-central parts by
mid-period.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m except in the extreme north-east, reaching 4.5m in
the south, with S to SW swell but E to NE swell in the east.
DURBAN EAST (32.5S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : SW to S 20 to 30 in the west, but 35 to 40 in the north-west,
otherwise N to NE 05 to 15 reaching 20 to 25 in the north-
east, but variable 05 to 10 in the central parts.
VIS : Good in the north-east, otherwise moderate to poor in
showers and thundershowers.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m in the west reaching 4.5 to 5.0m in the north-west
Until mid-period, with SW swell in the west, otherwise E to NE
swell.
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL:
WIND : NE to E 05 to 15 reaching 20 in places, becoming NW to N 10 to
20 reaching 25 to 30 in the south-east towards mid-period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in
the south and north-east, spreading to the north-west by the
end of the period.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the extreme south-east by mid-period, with S to SW
swell.
MADAGASCAR EAST (10S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : S to SE 05 to 15 in the north, otherwise E to NE 10 to 20.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in the north.
MARION FORTIES EAST (40S/50S, 35E/50E):
WIND : NW to N 25 to 35 in the extreme east at first, otherwise W to
SW 15 to 25 reaching 30 to 40 in the west, drifting to the
south-east by mid-period.
VIS : Moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers, clearing in
the east from mid-period.
SEA STATE: 4.5 to 5.5m, moderating to 3.0 to 3.5m in the west from mid-
period, otherwise W to SW swell.
AREA 2:
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MARINE METEOROLOGICAL BULLETIN FROM METEO-FRANCE/LA REUNION ON AREA ACK
(AMSTERDAM-CROZET-KERGUELEN)
26/01/18 AT 1600UTC
AVERAGED WIND SPEED ON BEAUFORT SCALE. (Wind gusts may be about 40% stronger than the averages given here).
PART 1: WARNING
- Gale force 8 over AMS and KER.
- Strong gale force 9, locally storm force 10 expected over CRO.
PART 2: GENERAL SYNOPSIS, 26/01/18 AT 1200UTC
- Low 1008 hPa near 38S/79E associated with a cold front (CF) axis 38S/79E, 36S/72E, 35S/67E moving eastward at 25/30 kt.
- High 1026 hPa near 43S/63E moving eastward at 25/30 kt.
- Low 989 hPa near 50S/35E associated with a cold front (CG) axis at 46S/37E, 37S/37E, 29S/33E and a warm front (WG) axis at 45S/43E, 44S/48E, 41S/51E, the whole system moving eastward at 30/35 kt.
PART 3: FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 26/01/18 at 1800UTC to 26/01/19 at 1800UTC
WAM (30S/40S, 50E/65E)
Rain, squalls, and frontal showers under CG.
WIND: anticlockwise 2 to 4 over south-eastern area at the beginning of
the period and northerly 4/5 elsewhere, increasing N to NW 5/6
locally 7 ahead of CG and backing westerly 3/4 behind. Gusts.
SEA : moderate to rough.
VIS : poor to very poor in precipitations.
AMS (30S/40S, 65E/80E)
Frontal showers under CF at the beginning of the period over the eastern area, clearing quickly. Rare showers thereafter.
WIND: southerly 6/7 locally 8 over the eastern area at the beginning of
the period, decreasing and becoming anticlockwise 3 to 5.
SEA : moderate to rough, locally very rough over the eastern area.
Southerly swell 3 to 4m.
VIS : poor in precipitations.
CRO (40S/50S, 50E/65E)
Rain, squalls, and frontal showers under WG, then under CG.
WIND: N 5/6 gradually increasing 7/8 from the west ahead of CG and
backing westerly 8/9 locally 10 over the southern area at the end
of the period. Strong gusts.
SEA : moderate to rough, becoming very rough to high at the end of the
period. Arrival of southerly swell 2/3 m.
VIS : very poor in precipitations.
KER (40S/50S, 65E/80E)
Rain and frontal showers under CG at the end of the period.
WIND: anticlockwise 3 to 5, locally southerly 5/6 over the eastern area
at the beginning of the period, increasing NW 6/7 locally 8 ahead
of the front. Gusts
SEA : moderate to rough, becoming very rough over southern area at the
end of the period. SW swell 3/4 m, abating.
VIS : poor to very poor in precipitations.