Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Feb 18/03 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
Flood warnings are current for the Paroo River downstream of Eulo and the Lower
Warrego River.
STATE FORECAST
for Wednesday night and Thursday
Scattered showers and thunderstorms over the northern tropics with some moderate
to heavy falls about parts of Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf country. Cloudy
over the far south-west and southern districts with a few showers and storms and
patchy light rain. A few showers along the east coast. Light to moderate SE to
NE winds. 
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
The monsoon trough is expected to remain near Torres Strait into the weekend at
least, generating further showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy falls
over Cape York Peninsula and about the Gulf country. 
The high will move into the Tasman Sea during Thursday and will freshen the
winds along the east coast and direct further isolated to scattered showers into
east coast districts. An upper trough system will move into south-east Australia
over the next few days and develop a surface low over southern NSW. This low
will invigorate the cloud band already over southern Qld. Consequently, from
Friday onwards the cloud over southern Qld will thicken and lead to an increase
in rain and storms particularly over the south-east. As well, rain will develop
over north-east NSW in particular with some heavy falls likely. This activity
will extend northwards into the southern tropics on Sunday. On Monday, as the
low weakens, the rain and storm activity will weaken and revert to a few showers
and storms associated with a surface trough over the interior of the state. As
the low moves slowly to the north-east on Saturday and Sunday and the high moves
to the south the ridge will collapse along the east coast and the winds will
fall away to light. 

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STAT News Service

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