Eastern Tasmania Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Wednesday 18th March)

Best Days: This evening, tomorrow morning, later Monday, early Tuesday

Recap

A mix of long-range and inconsistent E/NE groundswell from Tropical Cyclone Pam mixed in with building levels of NE windswell provided 3-4ft sets across north-east swell magnets yesterday but winds were best in northern corners with a general N'ly breeze.

Today the mix of swells was holding in at 3-4ft but conditions improved as a change moved through bringing offshore W'ly winds and great waves into this afternoon.

This week and weekend (Mar 19 – 22)

Today mix of NE windswell and E/NE groundswell should of started to ease this afternoon and will continue to drop overnight with only small 2ft leftovers expected across north-east swell magnets tomorrow morning. Conditions should be nice though with a W/NW tending fresh N/NW breeze.

Saturday and Sunday are now expected to be effectively flat with a cold front pushing across us Friday evening being too west in nature to generate any decent S'ly swell. This also flows on to the SE swell expected into Sunday Monday, with the fetch off New Zealand's South Island not due to have any real strength or longevity.

Our attention will then swing back to the north-east early next week as a high pressure ridge sitting between us and New Zealand is squeezed by an approaching frontal system, with a fetch of strong NE winds expected to be aimed towards us.

North-east facing beaches should build to 2-3ft later Sunday and hold this size range Monday before easing Tuesday. Winds are due to be generally from the northern quadrant ahead of a SW change Tuesday.

Longer term there's nothing major on the cards, so make the most of the today's good swell and offshore winds!