Choppy, uncomfortable weather predicted for Sydney to Hobart race

Two of the trophies up for grabs in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Photo / Getty

The Sydney to Hobart fleet has been warned to expect "choppy, wet and uncomfortable" conditions for the first night of the race.

But Michael Logan from the NSW Bureau of Meteorology has played down concerns that the 109 boats will encounter the most dangerous winds since the deadly 1998 race.

"The conditions for the start of the race are going to hinge very much on when the next cold front comes through NSW on Boxing Day and the timing of that front is going to be really crucial," Logan said during Tuesday's long-range forecast briefing.

"At this stage, we're currently expecting strengthening north-easterly winds for the first few hours of the race, including inside the harbour for the start of the race.

"That will be before the boats encounter what will be a strong southerly change on the NSW south coast for the first evening of the race.

"This looks like coming though around 25 to 35 knots. That will mean we're expecting conditions to be choppy, wet and a little uncomfortable for the first night of the race."

Logan said early indications are that spectators will enjoy "quite pleasant" conditions with temperatures in the mid-20s for the start of the race before showers and thunderstorms hit after the fleet leaves Sydney."

Six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued in the fatal storm of 1998 when a Bass Strait bomb in the form of a deep depression exploded over the fleet.

Logan, though, said no early forecasts were providing any cause for alarm.

"Conditions as we get deeper into the race, particularly for Bass Strait, will really depend on whether or not a lower pressure system develops in the southern Tasman Sea east of Tasmania on Sunday," he said.

"The models and computer guidance that we've got are not quite in alignment of whether or not that low will develop and that's going to be critical to what happens in Bass Strait.

"If that low does develop, it will mean there will be a continuation of the strong south, south-westerly winds through Bass Strait for a longer period throughout the race.

"But it's well worth mentioning at this stage that although there is some computer guidance that does have a low developing in Tasmania on the Sunday, there's no indications the winds in the race are not likely to be anything like we saw in 1998.

"Even if you go through all of the scenarios that the computer models have at the moment, none of them have anything that was as strong as what occurred in 1998.

"So we'll obviously be watching that very closely over the next few days."

- AAP