WEATHER BULLETIN FOR THE HIGH SEAS FOR METAREA VII.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE ON THE
26TH OF APRIL 2026 AT 16:00 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 262200 TO 272200 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 to 40 in the south-east towards the end of the period.
2. TRISTAN: N to NW 35 in the south-west towards the end of the period.
3. CAPE WEST: S to SW 35 in the south-east at first.
4. CAPE EAST: SW 35 to 40 in the west, spreading over the central parts
towards mid-period.
5. DURBAN EAST: S to SW 35 to 40 in the south-west towards mid-period,
spreading to the north-west towards the end of the period.
6. MARION FORTIES EAST: SE to E 35 in the south-west.
SYNOPTIC CHART 12:00Z
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High 1039 hPa 40s07w, High 1030 40s59e
Low 999 hPa 45s29e
1. Cold Front: 29s13e 35s21e 40s25e into 45s29e
AREA FORECAST:
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ASCENSION (06S/15S, 00E/20W):
WIND : SE to E 10 to 20.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in the extreme
northern parts.
ANGOLA (06S/15S, 00E/00N):
WIND : S to SE 10 to 20, but SW 05 to 15 in the east.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in the north at
times.
ST HELENA (15S/30S, 00E/20W):
WIND : SE to E 10 to 20 reaching 25 to 30 over the southern parts, but
NE 15 to 25 in the south-west, spreading to the south towards the
end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and rain in the southern
parts.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m over the central and southern parts, with SE swell.
TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST):
WIND : S to SE 15 to 25 reaching 30 to 40 in the south-east towards the
end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the west.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m in the southern parts, spreading over the central and
south-eastern parts towards mid-period, with S to SE swell but
with S to SW swell in the east.
TRISTAN (30S/40S, 00E/20W):
WIND : Anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the south-east, otherwise N to NW 15 to
25 reaching 30 to 35 in the south-west towards the end of the
period.
VIS : Good, becoming moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in
the south-west towards the end of the period.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m over the extreme north at first with S to SE swell,
reaching 4.0 to 5.0m in the south-west towards the end of the
period, with NW swell.
CAPE WEST (30S/40S, 00E/20E):
WIND : S to SW 15 to 25 reaching 30 to 35 in the south-east at first,
but SE 15 to 25 in the north, spreading over the western half
towards the end of the period, while becoming anticyclonic 05 to
15 in the south-west.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the east and south-
east.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m, reaching 4.5 to 5.0m in the south-east, with S to SW
swell.
CAPE EAST (32.5S/40S, 20E/50E):
WIND : NW 15 to 25 in the south, but E to NE 10 to 20 in the east,
reaching 25 to 30 in the north-east until mid-period, otherwise
SW 15 to 25 reaching 30 to 40 in the west, spreading over the
central parts towards mid-period.
VIS : Moderate in showers and thundershowers in places.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m in the southern and eastern halves with E to NE
swell, but with S to SW swell in the south-west, where it will
reach 4.0 to 6.0m towards mid-period, spreading over the central
parts by mid-period.
DURBAN EAST (32.5S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : S to SE 05 to 15 in the central parts, otherwise E to NE 10 to 20
reaching 25 in the south-east, but S to SW 15 to 25 in the west,
where it will reach 30 to 40 towards mid-period, spreading to the
north-west towards the end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
east and south-east, but in the south-west towards mid-period,
spreading to the north-west towards the end of the period.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m in the south-east at first with E to NE swell,
reaching 4.0 to 6.0m in the south-west towards mid-period, with S
to SW swell.
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL:
WIND : N to NE 10 to 20 in the south-west until mid-period, otherwise S
to SE 05 to 15 reaching 20 to 30 in the south-west towards the
end of the period, but SW 05 to 15 in the east.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in places in the
northern parts.
MADAGASCAR EAST (10S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : S to SE 05 to 15 reaching 20 in the south-east at first, but E to
NE 05 to 15 in the south-west.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in places.
SEA-STATE: 3.0m in the south-east at first, with SE to E swell.
MARION FORTIES EAST (40S/50S, 35E/50E):
WIND : NW 20 to 30, but SE to E 25 to 35 in the south-west.
VIS : Moderate to poor in showers and rain, but in thundershowers in
the north and north-west, but good in the north-east.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m over the southern and western halves, reaching 4.5 to
5.0m in the extreme north-west towards the end of the period,
with W to NW swell, but with E to SE swell in the south-west.
AREA 2:
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MARINE METEOROLOGICAL BULLETIN FROM METEO-FRANCE/LA REUNION ON AREA ACK (AMSTERDAM-CROZET-KERGUELEN)
26/04/26 AT 1500UTC
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 KER.
PART 2: GENERAL SYNOPSIS, 26/04/26 AT 1200UTC
Strong Westerly flow over far Southern CRO and KER.
Waving front over far Northern WAM and Northern AMS.
Waving front over Southern CRO and Southern KER.
High 1030 near 41S/58E, slowly moving Eastward.
PART 3: FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 26/04/26 at 1800UTC to 26/04/27
at 1800UTC
WAM (30S/40S, 50E/65E)
Frontal rain and showers over Northern area. Squalls over
Western area.
WIND: Anticlockwise 3 to 4 becoming Easterly to North-easterly 5
to 6 then Northerly 6 over Western area with gusts at end.
SEA: Moderate to rough. SW swell 2 to 3 meters abating.
VIS: Poor in precipitation.
AMS (30S/40S, 65E/80E)
Frontal rain and showers over Northern area.
WIND: Anticlockwise 3 to 4 but Easterly 4 to 5 over Northern area.
SEA: Moderate to rough. SW swell 2 to 3 meters.
VIS: Poor in precipitation.
CRO (40S/50S, 50E/65E)
Frontal rain and showers over Southern are
WIND: Anticlockwise 3 to 5 over Northern area but West 5 to
6 with gusts over Southern area. Northerly 4 to 5 by
Western area at end.
SEA: Moderate to rough, but rough to very rough over South-Eastern.
Westerly swell 3 to 4 meters.
VIS: Poor in precipitation.
KER (40S/50S, 65E/80E)
Scattered showers, more frequent over Southern area.
WIND: Over Northern area: Southerly to South-westerly becoming
gradually West 3 to 5. Over Southern area: West 5 to 7, at
times 8 with severe gusts.
SEA: Rough or very rough. SW swell 3 to 5 m.
VIS: Poor in precipitation