WEATHER BULLETIN FOR THE HIGH SEAS FOR METAREA VII.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE ON THE
24TH OF JANUARY 2026 AT 17:00 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 242200 TO 252200 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. MARION FORTIES EAST: NW to W 35 in the south-west, drifting to the south-
east towards mid-period, until towards the end of
the period.
SYNOPTIC CHART 12:00Z
=====================
High 1024 hPa 33s17w, High 1018 hPa 39s42e
Low 959 hPa 62s13e, Low 992 hPa 48s28e
1. Cold Front: 37s12w 40s04e 45s12e 50s14e into 62s13e
2. Cold Front: 39s25e 42s33e 45s34e into 48s28e
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, but moderate in showers and thundershowers in the
extreme east at times.
ST HELENA (15S/30S, 00E/20W):
WIND : E to SE 05 to 15, becoming anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the south-
west towards the end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in places in the south
and west.
TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST):
WIND : S to SE 10 to 20 reaching 25 in the south-east, but in the
north-east until towards mid-period.
VIS : Good.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the south-east at first, with S to SW swell.
TRISTAN (30S/40S, 00E/20W):
WIND : Anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the north-west, otherwise SW to W 10
to 20 reaching 25 in the south-east.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the central parts,
but in the western parts towards mid-period.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m in the south-east, with SW swell.
CAPE WEST (30S/40S, 00E/20E):
WIND : S to SE 10 to 20 the north-east, otherwise SW to W 10 to 20
reaching 25 to 30 in the south-east at first, but in the south
towards the end of the period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the south.
SEA STATE: 3.0m in the north-east, but 3.0 to 4.0m in the southern parts,
with S to SW swell.
CAPE EAST (32.5S/40S, 20E/50E):
WIND : W to NW 20 to 30 in the south-west, otherwise anticyclonic 05
to 15, but NE 10 to 20 in the north-west.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the south-west.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m reaching 4.0m in the south-west, with S to SW swell.
DURBAN EAST (32.5S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : S to SE 05 to 15 reaching 20 to 25 in the north towards the end
of the period, but NE to E 20 to 30 in the west, but 10 to 20 in
the east until mid-period.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in the
east.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m, with S to SW swell.
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL:
WIND : NW to W 10 to 20 in the north, otherwise S to SE 10 to 20
reaching 25 in the south-east, but variable 05 to 10 in the
extreme south-west.
VIS : Good, but moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers in
the northern and central parts, but in the south-eastern parts
until mid-period.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 3.5m in the south-east towards mid-period, with S to SW
swell.
MADAGASCAR EAST (10S/25S, EAST COAST/55E):
WIND : NW to W 10 to 20 in the extreme north, otherwise NE to N 05 to
15 reaching 20 in the extreme south-east until mid-period.
VIS : Moderate to poor in showers and thundershowers.
MARION FORTIES EAST (40S/50S, 35E/50E):
WIND : Anticyclonic 05 to 15 in the north-east at first, otherwise NW to
W 15 to 25 reaching 30 to 35 in the south-west, drifting to
the south-east towards mid-period, until towards the end of the
period.
VIS : Good, but moderate in showers and rain in the west, drifting to
the east towards mid-period.
SEA STATE: 3.0 to 4.0m reaching 4.5m in the south, 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)
26/01/24 AT 1600UTC
AVERAGED WIND SPEED ON BEAUFORT SCALE. (WIND GUSTS MAY BE ABOUT 40%
STRONGER THAN THE AVERAGES GIVEN HERE).
PART 1: WARNING
- NIL.
PART 2: GENERAL SYNOPSIS, 26/01/24 AT 1200UTC
- COLD FRONT AXIS 44S/61E, 49S/68E, 55S/73E, 59S/74E, STEADILY MOVING
EASTWARD.
- LOW 1012 HPA NEAR 40S/52E EXPECTED 1011 HPA NEAR 40S/63E AT END.
- HIGH 1030 NEAR 42S/79E, SLOWLY MOVING EASTWARD.
- HIGH PRESSURE AREA OVER CRO.
PART 3: FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 26/01/24 AT 1800UTC TO 26/01/25
AT 1800UTC
WAM (30S/40S, 50E/65E)
SHOWERS AND SQUALLS UNDER LOW.
WIND: N 4 TO 5 OVER EASTERN, BACKING SOUTH TO SOUTH-EAST 4 TO 5 BY
WESTERN.
SEA: MODERATE TO ROUGH. SOUTH-WEST SWELL 3 M OVER WESTERN.
VISI: POOR IN PRECIPITATION.
AMS (30S/40S, 65E/80E)
SCATTERED SHOWERS.
WIND: ANTICLOCKWISE 3 TO 4, SETTING-UP NORTH 4 TO 5 BY WESTERN.
SEA: MODERATE, ROUGH OVER EASTERN AT BEGINNING.
VISI: MODERATE TO POOR IN PRECIPITATION.
CRO (40S/50S, 50E/65E)
SCATTERED SHOWERS.
WIND: ANTICLOCKWISE 3 TO 5 SETTING-UP NORTH-WEST 6 TO 7 BY
SOUTH-WESTERN LATER.
SEA: ROUGH TO LOCALLY VERY ROUGH OVER SOUTHERN. WESTERLY SWELL 3 TO
4M.
VISI: POOR IN PRECIPITATION.
KER (40S/50S, 65E/80E)
FRONTAL SHOWERS.
WIND: ANTICLOCKWISE 3 TO 4 OVER NORTH-EASTERN, BUT NORTH-WEST 5 TO 6
AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH GUSTS BACKING SOUTH-WESTERLY 3/4 BEHIND AT
TIMES 5. VARIABLE 4 TO 5 OVER WESTERN AT END.
SEA: MODERATE TO ROUGH. WESTERLY SWELL 3 TO 4 M DECREASING.
VISI: POOR IN PRECIPITATION.