Coastal Waters forecast changes:

The number of coastal waters forecast zones will increase from 11 to 14, with new forecast zones for Cooktown, Cairns and Townsville waters.

The current Southeast Coastal Waters zone will be split into two for the Sunshine Coast Waters and Gold Coast Waters.

New coastal waters forecast and warning service will be introduced for the Torres Strait with 4 day wind and wave forecasts plus wind warnings. This new forecast zone will cover the entire Australian national boundary in the Torres Strait, servicing many more island communities.

Forecast for thunderstorms, fog and heavy precipitation will be included along with seas and swell forecasts extending to 4 days.

Marine Wind Warnings for the current day and the next day will be incorporated in the coastal waters forecast, eliminating the need for a separate product and assisting with longer term planning.

A new product called Marine Wind Warning Summary will be available through the website.

The forecast format will have an improved layout for easier reading for VHF radio broadcasts.

During 2014, Queensland forecasts will be added to the MetEye interface on the BoM website. This will enable mariners to access forecast maps of winds and combined seas/swell, including the ability to select any location within the coastal waters zone for a forecast out to 7 days.