Did you know that South Africa has Africa’s second longest mainland coastline – second only to Somalia?
And of course, as the southernmost country in Africa, with our coastline spanning two oceans, we see a vast amount of shipping all along our coastlines, both domestic as well as international – there are more than 30 000 ships sailing around the country every year.
So let’s spare a thought for the sailors, as strong winds continue to make their presence known regularly around parts of South Africa’s coastal region as the winter progresses, with damaging winds and waves in places along the coast.
International mariners and local fishermen alike rely on factors such as ship routeing, meteorological data and weather forecasts to plan safe and efficient routes wherever possible.
The South Africa Weather Service (SAWS) issues wind and wave warnings when winds are expected to be strong enough to cause disruptions or damage, or when waves are expected to be high enough to pose a risk. These warnings are crucial for coastal communities and marine activities.
To look at just two examples, SAWS warned of damaging waves expected south of Durban, Kwa-Zulu-Natal during the second week of June, and again during the weekend of Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July, that could cause disruptions and navigational difficulties. We’re still in the middle of winter, so there’s no doubt that we can expect further warnings around damaging winds and waves coming through in due course.
Here at Vox Weather, we are proud to play our role in sharing information to help keep sailors informed, to assist with their safety, and the safekeeping of their important economic cargoes, as much as possible.
