Project goals

• To better inform the boating community of the importance of weather when it comes to prevention of boating incidents, injuries and fatalities.

• To better inform the boating community of utilising the most relevant sources of weather information on the internet and marine radio.

• To better educate the boating community on the impacts of weather on boating safety and comfort.

Project lead

Bureau of Meteorology

Key messages

Weather hazards

Being weather wise can help make a great day on the water. 

The Bureau of Meteorology's Marine Weather Knowledge Centre has a wide range of information about marine hazards to help you understand how the weather can affect the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of your activity.

Marine weather hazards include squalls, large waves, thunderstorms, and strong tidal currents.

Know where to find information about weather hazards that is best suited to the time and location of your activity. Marine forecasts cover large areas and a full 24 hour period. Use the Bureau’s MetEye tool to zoom in on your area of interest, and get 3-hourly forecast winds, waves and weather conditions for waters out to 60 nautical miles from the coast, as well as for lakes.

Weather safety checks

ANZSBEG promotes the Bureau's of Meteorology's 'Five vital weather safety checks for boating'. 

This means always checking the weather before and during boating. Before heading out on the water, use the Bureau’s marine forecasts and warnings and run through the five vital checks:

Warnings, Weather, Winds, Waves, Tides.

Know the operating limits of your vessel, and change your plans if conditions are forecast to exceed them.

Once on the water, stay tuned into the weather. VHF marine radio is the most effective and reliable means of accessing weather information on the water. You can also get marine forecasts on the free BOM Weather app if you are within mobile reception, or MarineLite pages of the Bureau website if using a satellite connection.