Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - May 15/08 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
No warnings.
STATE FORECAST
for Thursday night and Friday
Some showers about the east coast. Isolated showers chiefly during the afternoon
over the central and eastern interior with scattered showers and isolated
thunderstorms over most southern districts. Fine elsewhere. Moderate to fresh SE
winds along the east tropical coast with light to moderate SE to NE winds
elsewhere.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
The high over the Tasman Sea will continue to move slowly eastwards passing over
New Zealand during the weekend with the ridge over eastern Queensland also
weakening from the south. The associated moderate to fresh trade flow and stream
showers will become confined to north of Cooktown by late Saturday and continue
through to at least Tuesday.
The next upper trough system will move across NSW and far southern Qld later
Friday and move across the state and off the east coast on Sunday. This upper
trough will develop a low off the NSW coast on Sunday. Accompanying the upper
trough will be a relatively strong surface front which will move into south-west
Queensland early Saturday and will move off the southern coast on Sunday morning
and generally decay further northwards as ridging from the high over South
Australia pushes through and merges with the preexisting ridge north of
Cooktown. Showers and isolated thunderstorms will develop ahead of the front and
extend across the southern interior to the southeast coast. Further north,
isolated showers will develop to the east of the front over central parts. The
showers and thunderstorms will clear eastern Queensland by early Sunday morning
as the frontal system moves off the coast. A weak cloudband with some generally
light rain will accompany the front over far south-eastern parts during
Saturday. Dry, cool and gusty SW to SE winds will follow this front while warmer
NW to N winds will precede the system. Dust areas will occur over southern
inland districts following the front with the gusty SW winds and will extend to

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STAT News Service