Classic 22 second swell looms

RARE EVENT: A 22 second swell heads for the southern African coastline tomorrow morning.

The storm behind the swell has already lost a bit of steam, puffing along south of the country at a "mere" 945mb of central pressure, packing gusts to "only" 75kts around the northern to northwestern quadrant of the eye.

A day ago, it peaked at proper pressure of 930mb, with sustained winds of 70kts gusting to almost 90 kts. This is the pulse that is arriving tomorrow, with the initial forerunners (the fastest moving waves from the pulse but sometimes not the biggest) making landfall in Cape Town between 4am and 6am and from 8am to 10am in in the Southern to Eastern Cape.

Both regions will see long gapped sets, and long lulls between rapidly growing 6, then 8, then 10ft sets, growing more and more consistent and powerful with the peak energy coming through potentially by late morning, with sets to 12-15ft along open shores.

Sadly for Cape Town, a strong southerly to SSE is due to blast across her bow, curtailing options. However, east of Agulhas, oh my big floppy hat. Hope for sublime cracking surf in glassy to light W or variable breezes on the dawnie but a pity about the wind, which goes onshore light then moderate E to SE all morning, just as the first beautiful (proper) long range bombs fill in.

EARLY HOURS: At 3am the storm can be seen klapping it, but eased as it moved past.