Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

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

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
A strong wind warning is current for St Lawrence to Cape Melville.
STATE FORECAST
for Friday
Isolated showers along the Central Coast tending scattered and squally along the
northeast tropical coast. Isolated showers and thunderstorms about Cape York
Peninsula tending scattered in the north with locally heavy falls. Isolated
showers and thunderstorms, about the southeast clearing to sea during in the
day. Moderate to fresh SE winds along the east coast shifting light to moderate
E to NE inland.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
A mature monsoon trough will dominate the weather pattern over northern
Queensland over the coming week. A pair of slow developing monsoon lows over the
northern Coral Sea, one may intensify into a tropical cyclone during the day or
early Saturday. As these systems continue to intensify, they are likely to drift
slowly west-southwest, after which, a switch to a south-southeast track is
likely during the weekend. Besides this development, the monsoon trough over the
far north is likely to continue to produce some areas of rain over Cape York
Peninsula and the Northern Tropical Coast north of about Cairns. With the
current projection of the Tropical Cyclone to move southeast, parallel to and
off the east coast, the scattered showers and  possible heavier falls with
increasing winds near the coast will gradually extend south along the central
coast later in the weekend and into early next week. The more intense and heavy
falls are likely to occur out to sea nearer the system centre.
To the south over the central interior of Queensland, fine conditions can be
expected through into the weekend owing to stable conditions well south of the
monsoon trough and the absence of any significant upper levels systems
penetrating this far north.
In southern districts stable warm upper level air will maintain fine conditions
for most of the weekend, however some isolated showers are expected to form

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STAT News Service