Australia -- Victoria Weather Update

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

Warnings
CFA has declared a day of Total Fire Ban for the North Western, North Eastern,
South Western and Central Total Fire Ban districts for Tuesday 18th March 2003.
CFA has declared a day of Total Fire Ban for the  North Eastern, Central and
Eastern Total Fire Ban districts for Wednesday 19th March 2003.
Fire weather warning: Fire danger will be extreme in the Northern Country, North
Central, Northeast, Alpine, Central and West and South Gippsland districts on
Wednesday.
A gale warning is current for Victorian coastal waters between Cape Otway and
Wilsons Promontory and for Port Phillip and Western Port.
Strong wind warnings are current Victorian coastal waters west of Cape Otway and
east of Wilsons Promontory.
A wind warning is current for the Western, Central, North Central, and Alpine
districts.
A farmers and graziers warning has been issued for southern and mountain areas.
Weather Pattern
A cold front south of the Bight will continue moving eastwards, reaching
southwest Victoria early on Wednesday before moving through the rest of the
State by Wednesday night. A low pressure system will develop near Tasmania by
Thursday then move slowly southeastwards during Friday and Saturday. A high
pressure system is expected to form well south of the Bight by Saturday.      
Victoria
Tonight and Wednesday: Generally fine and warm tonight. Becoming cloudy from the
west tomorrow with fresh to strong northerly wind, locally reaching gale force,
ahead of a cooler southwesterly change developing in the west in the morning and
reaching the east at night. Rain areas and isolated thunderstorms developing
near the change with possible heavy falls on and south of the ranges. Showers to
follow the rain band in the west. Locally raised dust in the northwest.
Fire Danger: Very high to extreme ahead of the change.
UV Index: 8 [Very high] decreasing to 5 [moderate] under cloud.  
Thursday:  Showers, mainly on and south of ranges. Hail and thunder in the
south, mainly near coast. Cool.
Friday:    Scattered showers on and south of the ranges. Fine in the north. Cool
to mild.
Saturday:  Isolated showers in the south clearing. Fine in the north. Cool to
mild.
Forecast for Melbourne
Tonight and Wednesday
A very warm night. Fine at first tomorrow but cloudy with a squally northerly
wind. A cooler southwest change in the afternoon. A period of rain developing
with the change.
Min 24    Max 29
Thursday
Showers.                                    Min 13    Max 17
Friday
Few showers.                                Min 12    Max 20
Saturday
Becoming fine.                              Min 12    Max 20
Trend for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
Fine. Becoming warmer.
Forecast for Port Phillip and Western Port
Tonight and Wednesday: Northerly wind of 15 to 20 knots locally 25 knots, 
increasing 25 to 35 knots in the morning then shifting southwesterly in the
afternoon and easing 15 to 25 knots. Waves 1 to 1.5 metres rising 2 to 2.5
metres in the morning then decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres later. A gale warning
is current.
Thursday:  West to southwesterly winds of 20 to 25 knots.
Friday:    Southwesterly winds of 15 to 20 knots.
Saturday:  Southerly wind of 10 to 15 knots locally 20 knots in the afternoon.
Headline Melbourne: Windy. Afternoon change, rain. 
Headline Victoria:  Becoming windy. Rain with a cool change extending from the

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STAT News Service

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