03 Mar – Eddy activity off NSW

SST

The Leeuwin current is visible pushing southward down the WA coast and turning eastward along the south coast.

Old warm eddy off Gabo is losing its warmth and should soon lose its strength. The new warm eddy remains in place well to the east. It should travel westward eventually.The main lobe off Sydney is becoming more circular with cold water intrusion to the southeast. This may become an eddy itself. It is startingt o look like a ‘double-front’ structure to the Tasman Front. With one boundary along these large meanders and new eddies, and another one setting up further north.

Interestingly, the warm anomaly in the Tasman Sea has largely disipated with 99 percentile values only exceeded in a few spots. Most of the heat drifted eastward before mixing away in the last few days.

SST chart

Seas surface temperatures continue very warm in South Australian gulfs and off eastern Tasmania.

Sea Level Anomalies and Ocean Currents

The cold front approaching southern states over the weekend will cause a surge in water levels in South Australia that will exceed Highest Astronomical Tides. However, this type of surge is common during winter for an extra-tropical low and will not be a huge concern

Salinity

The warm waters in the St Vincent Gulf in South Australia are highly saline due to evaporation during recent atmospheric heatwave events.