South Australian Forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Friday 26th April)

Best Days: Both coasts tomorrow, South Coast Sunday morning, South Coast Monday, Mid Coast Thursday

Recap

The Mid Coast offered a touch more size than expected yesterday with good consistent 2ft sets, though conditions were only clean for a short period early before freshening onshore winds kicked in. The South Coast was clean in protected spots and OK, with more size this morning but developing onshore winds. The Mid Coast was hanging around 2ft but choppy and poor.

Our large and significant S/SW groundswell event for this afternoon and evening is on track, with it building very strongly off Tasmania, with Cape Sorell rising significantly (below).

Cape du Couedic

We should see this swell kick strong later today and reaching 8ft with bigger sets at Waits and Parsons, with 3ft sets on the Mid Coast. Winds should improve and tend S/SE near dark though with a big high tide.

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This weekend and next week (Apr 27 – May 3)

The severe low linked to later today's large increase in long-period S/SW groundswell is now pushing across Tasmania and with this we'll see a steady drop in size through tomorrow, though still large early morning.

The South Coast should drop back from 6-8ft with 2ft sets on the Mid Coast with a light morning E/SE offshore across the Mid Coast and a light W/NW breeze now due down South. Winds will shift onshore through the day, initially not too strong and fresher later.

Sunday should see a morning W/NW breeze again on the South Coast, light onshore on the Mid with a reinforced SW swell steadying the easing trend. This reinforcing swell will be generated by a strengthening front moving in on the tail of the severe low, keeping Middleton around 3-4ft, while the Mid Coast will be tiny and back to 1ft+.

Monday should be great down South as winds swing straighter offshore from the N/NE tending W/NW ahead of late weak sea breezes. Middleton should ease from a fun 3ft, clean again Tuesday morning but small to tiny.

From later Wednesday and more so Thursday we should see some new W/SW swell building on the coast, generated by a strong though weakening mid-latitude storm projecting from the Heard Island region towards WA and then through the Bight.

An initial fetch of W/SW gales will weaken and broaden, with the W/SW groundswell due to arrive later Wednesday and peak Thursday to a great 2-3ft on the Mid Coast with Middleton being smaller and to 3-4ft. Unfortunately the front will bring an onshore S/SE change, favouring the Mid Coast though creating bumpy waves down South. We'll have a closer look at this swell and the local winds Monday though. Have a great weekend!