Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Feb 1/07 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
A Tropical Cyclone Watch is current for Gulf of Carpentaria communities from the
Northern Territory border around to Weipa.
Coastal Waters Wind Warning for coastal waters between Cardwell and Burnett
Heads.
Coastal Waters Wind Warning for eastern Gulf of Carpentaria waters.
Flood warnings are current for the Tully, Don, Proserpine, Herbert, Haughton,
Pioneer Rivers, Coastal Streams between Innisfail and Mackay, the Georgina River
downstream of Urandangi and Eyre Creek, Diamantina River downstream of
Diamantina Lakes, Paroo, Bulloo Rivers and the lower Thomson River, lower Barcoo
River and Cooper Creek.
STATE FORECAST
for Friday
Areas of rain and isolated thunderstorms NE of a line from Fraser Is to Emerald
to Richmond and about the Gulf Country. Locally heavy falls mostly about parts
of Cape York Peninsula and coastal districts between Cairns and St Lawrence.
Scattered to isolated showers about the remaining east coast and adjacent
inland, and isolated thunderstorms over the far southwest. Freshening NW winds
to the north of the monsoon trough that lies from Cairns through the Gulf of
Carpentaria. Moderate SE to NE winds to the south, fresh at times between
Cardwell and Burnett Heads.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
Over the weekend the monsoon trough is expected to persist over northern
Australia and produce areas of rain with locally heavy falls. The Bureau in the
Northern Territory have issued a Tropical Cyclone Watch for communities in the
Gulf of Carpentaria south of Weipa. The low currently to the northeast of
Nhulunbuy in the NT has the potential to move SE into the central Gulf of
Carpentaria and develop into a tropical cyclone. The eventual track of this
system will be complicated owing to the interaction of the low located inland
over the base of Cape York Peninsula.
Meanwhile, a high in the Tasman Sea will direct fresh to strong SE trade winds
along the coast to the south of the monsoon trough, bringing showers onto the
southern and central coasts, and maintaining the heavy falls in the area between
Cairns and St Lawrence.  Later in the weekend the monsoon trough becomes active
again over the Northern Tropical Coast which should increase rain in the area
north of Townsville. NW winds on the northern side of the monsoon trough in the
northern Gulf of Carpentaria are also expected to increase as will swell in the
Gulf of Carpentaria.
Drier air and increasing stability over southern interior districts will produce
mostly fine conditions over the weekend and well into next week. Generally
temperature will remain below average under the areas of rain and close to

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STAT News Service