Great weekend down South, larger swells with varying winds next week

Craig Brokensha picture
Craig Brokensha (Craig)

South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 14th June)

Best Days: South Coast all weekend and Monday, Wednesday, Mid Coast Tuesday morning and Wednesday

Recap

A pulse of new swell yesterday to 2ft on the Mid Coast but with poor onshore winds, 2-3ft along the Middleton stretch with a morning W/NW breeze, fresher into the afternoon.

Today a stronger pulse of W/SW swell has peaked down South with 3-4ft sets along the Middleton stretch along with morning offshore winds, while the Mid Coast remained poor with 1-2ft sets and choppy conditions.

We should see the size easing slightly across the South Coast this afternoon as winds persist from the N/NW.

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This weekend and next week (Jun 15 - 21)

This morning's fresh pulse of W/SW swell was the second out of three expected over the coming days, with the third and final coming from a more S/SW direction and building tomorrow afternoon, easing Sunday.

This has been generated by a strong low moving through our southern swell window last night and today, generating a good fetch of W/SW gales on the back of the activity before it this week.

Middleton should be back to 3ft tomorrow morning, but the new S/SW groundswell should kick wave heights to 4ft on the sets into the mid-late afternoon, easing back from 3ft+ Sunday morning.

The Mid Coast looks to remain small and to 1ft to occasionally 2ft, similar Sunday on the favourable parts of the tide.

Conditions will be great for the South Coast all weekend with a persistent N/NW offshore wind, while the Mid Coast will see lighter N/NE winds early each morning.

The swell will ease off further Monday with a N/NW offshore again, though shifting more NW into the afternoon.

Later in the day we're likely to see signs of a new long-period and inconsistent SW groundswell, peaking Tuesday, with a secondary large increase for Wednesday.

This will be a result of a two stage polar frontal progression, with the initial stages of it being strongest but furthest away. A polar fetch of storm-force W'ly winds has already started to be produced south of the Heard Island region and will continue east today, weakening early tomorrow morning.

An inconsistent but strong long-period SW groundswell will be seen from this source, arriving late Monday and peaking Tuesday morning to 4-5ft off Middleton while the Mid Coast looks to persist at 2ft.

The secondary pulse of large reinforcing SW groundswell for Wednesday will be generated by a slower moving and broader fetch of severe-gale W/SW winds coming in on the back of the storm-force W'ly fetch, rolling slowly east through the weekend and then under the country early next week while weakening.

This should provide larger 5-6ft waves off Middleton and 2ft to occasionally 3ft waves on the Mid Coast, easing Thursday.

Now, unfortunately the front will push through Monday evening leaving onshore SW winds across the South Coast, but the Mid looks to see a morning S/SE breeze.

We'll hopefully see winds swing back offshore from the N'th on Wednesday though as a low starts to develop inland across Victoria, though we'll review this Monday. Have a great weekend!