Australia -- Victoria Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Apr 22/09 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Western Australia was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

for the period until midnight EST Sunday 26 April 2009.
Warning Summary at issue time
Strong wind warning for Victorian waters between SA-VIC Border and Cape
Paterson.
Strong wind warning is current for Port Phillip.
Details of warnings are available on the Bureau's website www.bom.gov.au, by
telephone 1300-659-217* or through some TV and radio broadcasts.
Weather Situation
A high pressure system in the south Tasman Sea is drifting slowly eastwards and
will be east of New Zealand by tonight. A cold front west of the Bight will
approach western Victoria tonight before moving through most of the State on
Friday. A stronger cold front will move across Victoria late Saturday and
during Sunday ,while a low pressure system will develop over west Bass Strait
and then intensify as it moves southeastwards to be east of Tasmania by Sunday
night.
Forecast for the rest of Thursday
Morning fog patches over east Gippsland then a mild to warm day throughout with
light to moderate north to northeast winds becoming fresh to strong from the
west and south. Cloud increasing in the west with rain areas developing during
the late afternoon or evening.
Maximum Fire Danger: High to very high.
Forecast for Friday
Rain areas and isolated thunderstorms contracting eastwards across the State
ahead of a change and clearing from the far east by the evening. Fresh to
strong north to northwest winds, reaching gale force about the ranges and
shifting cooler west to southwesterly from the west during the day. Isolated
showers persisting on and south of the divide behind the change.
Forecast for Saturday
Showers increasing from the west, tending to rain areas in the southwest and
along the ranges. Isolated thunderstorms and hail possible in the southwest
later. Moderate to fresh northwest to westerly winds turning colder and squally
west to southwest in the west later.
Forecast for Sunday
Rain contracting through eastern areas ahead of a change during the afternoon,
while scattered showers with local hail and thunder after the change mainly on
and south of the divide. Strong northwesterly winds, reaching gale force at
times, shifting colder, strong and squally southwesterly with the change. Snow
developing in the east above 1000 metres.
The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:30 pm EST Thursday.
* Calls to 1300 numbers cost around 27.5c incl. GST, higher from mobiles or
public phones.

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STAT News Service