Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Sep 1/09 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
A strong wind warning Torres Strait to Cooktown.
STATE FORECAST
for Tuesday night and Wednesday
Isolated showers about the Northern Tropical Coast, Central coast and
Whitsundays. Fine elsewhere. Becoming cloudy in the Channel Country with rain
developing late Wednesday. Some early frost over parts of the SE interior.
Generally light to moderate SE to NE winds.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
During Thursday a surface trough and associated middle level trough to the west,
which is expected to produce thundery rain over central Australia and enter the
Channel Country late Wednesday, will move eastwards into the Maranoa and Warrego
districts. Expect some moderate falls in this band of thundery rain. A 1037 hPa
high over New Zealand will direct moderate SE trade winds along the east coast,
fresh at times north of Cooktown. Expect some isolated showers about exposed
parts of the Northern Tropical Coast. South of about St Lawrence and over
eastern districts winds will turn NE ahead of the surface trough entering
western Queensland. Just ahead of the surface trough in NW parts and through the
Central West temperatures will be about 4 to 6 degrees above average. Cooler
S/SE winds in the wake of the surface trough will produce temperatures slightly
below average.
On Friday the surface trough stalls across the interior and weakens. The
associated middle level trough progresses eastwards and also weakens a little.
As a result the thundery rain band does progress into the Darling Downs, and
eventually SE districts, although global computer models currently indicate less
rain than on Thursday. The northern part of the rain band moves into the Central
West and Central Highlands & Coalfields districts from the south with only
patchy rain forecast. The high over New Zealand weakens and therefore SE trade
along the east coast will also ease as will the amount of shower activity.
Early Saturday morning the main rain band moves into the Pacific clearing SE
districts. However some cloud will linger and cause some isolated showers in the
Wide Bay and Burnett and possibly the Central Highlands & Coalfields. Fine

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STAT News Service