Australia -- Victoria Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Mar 20/03 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Western Australia was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

Warnings
Gale Warnings are current for Victorian coastal waters east of Cape Otway.
Strong wind warnings are current for Victorian coastal waters west of Cape
Otway, for Port Phillip and Western Port and for the Gippsland Lakes.
A land wind warning is current for West and South Gippsland.
Weather Pattern
A low pressure system over Bass Strait will lie just east of Tasmania on Friday
then will slowly weaken during the weekend before moving eastwards early next
week. A ridge of high pressure to the west will extend across western Victoria
late Sunday and move across the State on Monday.      
Victoria
Tonight and Friday: Showers contracting to on and south of the ranges during
Friday. Showers tending to rain at times over South Gippsland tonight. Snowfalls
on the alpine peaks overnight and during the morning. Cool with fresh to strong
west to southwesterly wind, reaching gale force near the South Gippsland coast
but tending southerly in the west and moderating overnight.
Fire Danger: Generally high
UV Index: 8 [Very high] decreasing to 3 [moderate] under cloud.  
Saturday:  Scattered showers in the south. Fine in the north. Cool to mild.
Sunday:    Isolated showers in the south clearing. Fine in the north. Cool to
mild.
Monday:    Fine except for early fog patches. Mild to warm.
Forecast for Melbourne
Tonight and Friday
Mainly cloudy with showers and a fresh and gusty west to southwesterly wind.
Min 12    Max 19
Saturday
Few showers.                                Min 12    Max 20
Sunday
Becoming fine.                              Min 12    Max 21
Monday
Fine.                                       Min 12    Max 23
Trend for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Mainly fine and mild.
Forecast for Port Phillip and Western Port
Tonight and Friday: West to southwesterly winds of 20 to 30 knots moderating to
15 to 20 knots during the day. Waves of 1 to 2 metres abating to about a metre
later in the day. A strong wind warning is current.
Saturday:  South to southwesterly winds of 10 to 15 knots, locally 20 knots in
the afternoon.
Sunday:    South to southeasterly winds 10 to 15 knots.
Monday:    South to southeasterly winds 10 to 15 knots.
Headline Melbourne: Showers. Fresh wind. 

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STAT News Service

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