Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Mar 11/03 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
A Tropical Cyclone Watch is current for the Gulf of Carpentaria coast between
the Northern Territory/Queensland border and Kowanyama.
Flood warnings are current for the Thomson River and Cooper Creek and for the
Diamantina River. 
A strong wind warning is current for Eastern Gulf of Carpentaria waters. 
STATE FORECAST
for Wednesday
Areas of rain, showers and thunderstorms over Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf
Country. Cloudy over most of the remainder of the tropics and through eastern
districts with areas of light rain and isolated thunderstorms. Moderate to fresh
S/SE winds along the east coast freshening a little during the day and light to
moderate SE to NE winds inland. Moderate to fresh NW winds over Cape York
Peninsula.  
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
Tropical cyclone Erica will continue to move in a generally south-easterly
direction through the eastern Coral Sea and will pose no threat to Queensland.  
The monsoon trough is expected to hover over far northern Cape York Peninsula
during the next couple of days with showers, thunderstorms and areas of rain
persisting in its vicinity. Tropical cyclone Craig to the east of Darwin is
expected to move over the Top End of the Territory overnight and into the Gulf
of Carpentaria overnight Wednesday bringing rain and gale force winds. This
activity will then extend across most of the northern tropics during Thursday
and persist into Friday with heavy falls and flooding likely.       
Over the interior, an upper level trough will move slowly across the area before
weakening on Friday. As a result, cloudy conditions will persist over much of
the east of the state with some light rain and showers. This upper system will
also produce some showers and storms over the central and southern interior
before clearing during Thursday. Fine or mostly fine weather should then return
to southern Queensland in the wake of this upper trough as it clears seawards on
Friday.   

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STAT News Service

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