Coastal Lows

The following synoptic charts are of Coastal Lows in different positions on the coast of South Africa.

• Coastal lows are a dominant weather feature along the South African coast.
• Coastal lows migrate along the South African Coastline from West to East.
• Coastal lows are characterized by a large change in weather from warm, dry and light offshore wind conditions to cooler, moist and breezy onshore weather. This is due to a combination of the clockwise airflow around the Coastal Low and its migration from west to east.
  • Ahead of the coastal low the offshore wind (from the land to the sea) is warm and dry
  • Behind the coastal low the onshore wind (from the sea to the land) is cooler and moist.

CHART 1:

CHART 2:

You can clearly see the Coastal Low off Cape Town on the satellite image below.