Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Apr 7/09 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
Strong wind warning for coastal waters between Bowen and Point Danger, including
Hervey and Moreton Bays.
STATE FORECAST
for Tuesday night and Wednesday
Isolated showers and thunderstorms over the interior northeast of about
Urandangi to Tambo to St George. These thunderstorms extending southwards
through NW districts on Wednesday. Scattered showers about the east coast.
Moderate to fresh SE to E winds, gusty along the southern coasts.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
On Thursday a broad area of high pressure over SE Australia will direct fresh to
strong SE trade winds along the east coast of Queensland. These moist SE trade
winds will produce squally showers over coastal districts. The inland trough
will be located over far western Queensland, and combined with an amplifying
upper trough through the Northern Territory will produce thunderstorms over
western and central districts. The upper trough will draw in moisture from
tropical parts and cloud over central and western Queensland will tend to
thicken and a rain band forms. This process of drawing tropical air into central
Queensland will also tend to increase showers along the Northern Tropical Coast
as winds above the surface turn NE which is favourable for increasing rainfall
in this area. Generally fine through the southern central interior owing to
slightly drier air.
As we move into the Easter weekend moisture levels generally build through the
interior and with some support from an upper trough over central Australia will
extend the rain band, with some thunderstorms, over the interior into southern
parts. Moderate to locally heavy falls are likely under this rain band. Winds
along the east coast tend a little more onshore with showers increasing and
tending to push further inland, particularly in the tropics.
The longer term outlook for Saturday and Sunday is for the rain band, with
embedded thunderstorms, to be located broadly through the central interior.
Moist easterly winds and further support in the upper levels will produce some
moderate to locally heavy falls over central and southern inland districts.

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STAT News Service