Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Mar 12/03 - 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 Thomson River and Cooper Creek. 
Strong wind warnings are current for the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria and also
for east coast waters between Cooktown and Cardwell.  
STATE FORECAST
for Thursday night and Friday
Widespread showers and thunderstorms over the northern tropics with some heavy
falls generally easing tomorrow. Cloudy over most eastern parts with scattered
rain clearing seawards south of St Lawrence overnight. A few showers or
thunderstorms over the far southwest later Friday.  Moderate to fresh southeast
winds most parts. Moderate to fresh westerly winds in the far north. 
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
Ex-tropical cyclone CRAIG, now a tropical low is expected to weaken further
overnight over the Peninsula but remain in the area for the next couple of days.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms with some heavy falls are expected across
the northern tropics before easing tomorrow. The high in the Tasman Sea will
weaken over the next 24 hours and be replaced by another high on the weekend. It
will strengthen further early next week with increasing winds again along most
of the east coast. The southern section of the upper trough will move off the
coast overnight taking all the cloud and rain with it. Another couple of upper
troughs could bring some high based showers or thunderstorms to the southern
interior on Friday and Saturday but nothing significant is expected. Tropical
cyclone ERICA continues to intensify as it moves in a generally south-easterly
direction over the eastern Coral Sea and poses no threat to Queensland apart
from a general increase in swells along the southern coastline later in the
weekend. 

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STAT News Service

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