WEATHER BULLETIN FOR THE HIGH SEAS FOR METAREA VII.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE ON THE
04th 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 042200 TO 052200 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:
====================
1. CAPE WEST: SE 35 in the south-east until towards the end of the period.
2. CAPE EAST: SE 35 to 40 in the south-west drifting to the north-west
towards the end of the period.
3. MARION FORTIES EAST: SW to S 35 to 40 in the extreme south-east towards
the end of the period.
SYNOPTIC CHART 12:00Z
=====================
High 1028 hPa 49s10e High 1019 hPa 32s49e.
1. Cold Front: 28s15e 32s19e 33s18e 37s23e 42s23e into 39s21e.
2. Cold Front: 28s23w 39s11w 49s08w 60s07w 64s24w into 61s30w.
AREA FORECAST:
==============
ASCENSION (06S/15S, 00E/20W):
WIND : E to SE 15 to 20 reaching 25 in the south-east towards the end of
the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in the extreme
north-west.
ANGOLA (06S/15S, 00E/00N):
WIND : S to SE 15 to 25, but SW 05 to 15 in the east.
VIS : Good.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m in the south towards mid-period, with S to SE swell.
ST HELENA (15S/30S, 00E/20W):
WIND : variable 05 to 10 in the south, otherwise E to SE 10 to 20.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
extreme south-west at times.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m except in the south-east while reaching 4.5m in the
extreme south-west by mid-period, with S to SW swell but SE swell
in the north.
TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST):
WIND : SE to S 15 to 25 reaching 30 in the north-east from mid-period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in light rain in the extreme south-east at
times.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m, with SW to S swell but SE swell in the north.
TRISTAN (30S/40S, 00E/20W):
WIND : N to NW 10 to 20 in the east, otherwise SW to W 10 to 20. It will
become anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the western and central parts
from mid-period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in
places in the east.
SEA STATE: 4.0 to 5.0m except in the north-east reaching 5.5 to 6.5m in the
south-west, with W to SW swell.
CAPE WEST (30S/40S, 00E/20E):
WIND : Anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the western parts, otherwise SW to S 15
to 25, but SE 25 to 35 in the south-east.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
east.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m except in the west reaching 4.5 to 5.5m in the east,
with SE swell but SW swell in the north at first.
CAPE EAST (32.5S/40S, 20E/50E):
WIND : N to NW 15 to 25 in the east, but SW 05 to 15 in the north-west,
otherwise, SE to S 15 to 25 spreading to the northern and south-
eastern parts from mid-period, reaching 35 to 40 in the south-
west drifting to the north-west by the end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in
places.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m reaching 4.5 to 5.5m in the south-west, with SW to W
swell but SE swell in the south-west.
DURBAN EAST (32.5S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : N to NE 15 to 25 in the west until mid-period, otherwise
anticyclonic 05 to 15. It will become SE 15 to 25 in the extreme
south-west towards the end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
south-west spreading to the north-west towards the end of the
period.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in places in the south, with SW swell.
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL:
WIND : Variable 05 to 10, but S to SE 10 to 20 in the south-east at
first. It will become NE to N 10 to 20 in the south-west from
mid-period.
VIS : Good.
MADAGASCAR EAST (10S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : SE to E 15 to 25 in the north, but NE to N 05 to 15 in the south
reaching 20 to 25 in the south-west.
VIS : Good, but moderate in light showers in places at times.
MARION FORTIES EAST (40S/50S, 35E/50E):
WIND : W to NW 20 to 30 in the north-east at first, otherwise SW to S 20
to 30 reaching 35 to 40 in the extreme south-east towards the end
of the period.
VIS : Moderate in showers and rain but moderate to poor in snow showers
in the south, while moderate to poor in showers and
thundershowers in the extreme north-east.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m reaching 4.5 to 5.0m in the south from mid-period,
with SW to W swell.
AREA 2:
=======
MARINE METEOROLOGICAL BULLETIN FROM METEO-FRANCE/LA REUNION ON AREA ACK (AMSTERDAM-CROZET-KERGUELEN)
2026/05/04 AT 0500UTC
AVERAGED WIND SPEED ON BEAUFORT SCALE. (WIND GUSTS MAY BE ABOUT 40% STRONGER THAN THE AVERAGES GIVEN HERE).
PART 1: WARNING
- GALE OVER CRO AND KER.
PART 2: GENERAL SYNOPSIS, 26/05/04 AT 0000UTC
- A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH A PRESSURE OF 988 HPA IS DEEPENING NEAR 46OS/64OE, WITH A COLD FRONT (CF) AXIS 31OS/62OE, 35OS/65OE, 40OS/68OE, 42OS/70OE, 47OS/70OE, AND 49OS/64OE, MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD.
PART 3: FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 26/05/04 AT 0600UTC TO 26/05/05 AT 0600UTC
WAM (30S/40S, 50E/65E)
FRONTAL SHOWERS, WITH LOCALLY STORMY SQUALLS OVER FAR EASTERN AT THE START. SHOWERS ELSEWHERE, GRADUALLY BECOMING LESS FREQUENT FROM THE WEST.
WIND : SOUTH-WESTERLY 5/6, OCCASIONALLY 7 BEHIND THE COLD FRONT.
GUSTS. SOON BECOMING GRADUALLY ANTICLOCKWISE, FORCE 2/4 OVER NORTHERN
ZONE AND INCREASING NW FORCE 5/6 WITH GUSTS OVER SOUTHERN BY THE END.
SEA : MODERATE TO ROUGH. SOUTH-WESTERLY SWELL 3/4 M.
VIS : POOR TO VERY POOR DURING RAINFALL.
AMS (30S/40S, 65E/80E)
FRONTAL SHOWERS AND LOCALLY STORMY SQUALLS WITH COLD FRONT CF, SCATTERED SHOWERS ELSEWHERE.
WIND : NORTH 5/6 AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT, OCCASIONALLY 7, VEERING SOUTH-
WESTERLY 5/6 BEHIND, OCCASIONALLY 7 WITH GUSTS.
SEA : MODERATE TO ROUGH. SOUTH-WESTERLY SWELL 3 TO 4 M, EASING FROM THE
WEST.
VIS: POOR TO VERY POOR IN RAINFALL.
CRO (40S/50S, 50E/65E)
RAIN AND FRONTAL SHOWERS WITH CLEAR SPELLS BEFORE THE RETURN OF FRONTAL SHOWERS OVERNIGHT.
WIND : SOUTH-EASTERLY 6 TO 8, EASING TO 3/4 OVER EASTERN AREA, THEN LATER
BECOMING NORTH-WESTERLY 6 TO 8 AHEAD OF A NEW FRONT MOVING EASTWARD,
WITH WINDS OF 5 TO 7 BEHIND IT BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
GUSTS.
SEA : MODERATE TO ROUGH. CROSSED SEAS, SWELL FROM THE SOUTH 2 TO 3 M AND A
SMALL EASTERLY SWELL.
VIS: POOR TO VERY POOR DURING RAINFALL.
KER (40S/50S, 65E/80E)
RAIN, SHOWERS AND FRONTAL SQUALLS, LOCALLY STORMY WITH A COLD FRONT CF.
WIND : NORTH 6 TO 8 AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT; LOCALLY CLOCKWISE 4 TO 6 OVER
SOUTHERN AREA DUE TO LOW PRESSURE, BACKING EASTERLY 6 TO 8 BEHIND
THE FRONT.
SEA: MODERATE TO ROUGH TO LOCALLY HIGH. SOUTH-WESTERLY SWELL 3 TO 4 M
OVERNIGHT.
VIS : POOR TO VERY POOR IN PRECIPITATION.