Huge Sea Warning

Galeforce winds are lashing the coast between the Cape Peninsula and the Southern Cape, and a rising storm swell is going to peak tonight, when 40-50 foot swells will create hazardous maritime conditions, with storm warnings and advisories in effect. Widespread snow can be expected to fall along the mountains along the western, southern and parts of the eastern Cape.

Wavescape.co.za surf forecaster Spike says that anyone out to sea should take extreme precautions, and anyone planning to go to sea should reconsider, with a huge mixed storm sea building and winds of 45-50 kts peaking today and tonight along southern Cape

"The wave field starts off today (Monday) with a typically messy, mixed up aspect that doesn't seem all that big - everything from 1 foot chop to 12 groundswell. However, as the meat of the swell arrives with the storm this afternoon and evening, a much deeper energy underlying swell arrives with intervals of 15 seconds. There could be individual waves in excess of 60 feet as peaks in separate wave trains momentarily superimpose on one another."

Advisories and warnings are in effect, with the SA Weather service warning of high seas "from six to nine metres (20 to 30 feet) expected between Lamberts Bay and Plettenberg Bay from Monday to Tuesday morning", while "very cold conditions are expected on the western high ground of the Western Cape from Sunday to Tuesday".

The low pressure system behind the storm peaks today at 970 millibars, with the epicentre only 800 miles south of Cape Agulhas. Galeforce winds spread up the East Coast today, and the surf between Cape Town and Cape St Francis is expected to reach 20-25 feet along exposed shoreline, peaking tonight and tomorrow morning.

However, out to sea between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas, it is possible that swells will reach 40-50 feet, with roque swells possible, warns Spike.