Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Apr 1/08 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
UPDATED
WARNING SUMMARY
A strong wind warning is current for coastal waters between Lockhart River and
Gladstone.
STATE FORECAST
for Tuesday night and Wednesday
Showers along the north tropical coast, increasing to rain areas overnight and
early Wednesday morning with moderate to heavy falls likely in coastal parts.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms about the Cape York Peninsula and southern
Gulf coast. Fine elsewhere with a cool morning in the south. Moderate to fresh
SE winds developing along most coastal areas, becoming light to moderate over
inland parts. A fresh and gusty SW change will develop in the far southwest
later Wednesday.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
A high pressure system will move eastwards across the Tasman Sea on Wednesday
reaching the New Zealand area on Thursday. Southeast winds along the central and
south coast will ease from late Wednesday. Isolated showers near coastal parts
in the morning will contract to the tropical coast on Thursday. A trough will
move through southern Queensland during Thursday, reaching the SE corner late on
Thursday. Following the trough, gusty SE winds will cause some raised dust over
SW interior parts. An upper trough will amplify over the SW with some high cloud
developing but with no rain expected due to drier low levels.
The surface trough will cause instability over the SE district with isolated
afternoon showers and possible thunderstorms over southern ranges on Thursday.
The southerly change will move north along the SE coast during Friday, extending
into the Capricornia district during the afternoon. Some isolated showers and
thunderstorms are likely to develop on the change during the afternoon that
could extend back into the Central Highlands. Isolated showers will occur about
the SE Coast and southern Burnett in the wake of the change.
A strong high will develop over eastern Australia and become the dominant
weather feature into the weekend. SE winds will build along much of the east
coast along with the introduction of mostly coastal showers. The high will
maintain the dry conditions across southern and central Queensland and bring
with it further cold mornings and cool days.
In the north, showers and thunderstorms will continue across the Cape York
Peninsula and southern Gulf coast. Rain areas will continue over the far north
Cape York Peninsula till Saturday, but ease to scattered showers along the

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STAT News Service