Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Mar 16/10 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
Many rivers in southern Queensland are subject to flood warnings, refer to
latest warnings for individual rivers.
A coastal waters wind warning is current for waters between Lockhart River and
Cape Moreton, including Hervey Bay.
STATE FORECAST
for Wednesday
Scattered showers along the east coast, tending isolated over the adjacent
inland areas. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms through Torres
Strait. Fine and a little cool over the interior. Fresh to strong and gusty SE
winds along most of the east coast. Moderate to fresh E to SE winds elsewhere.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
The high pressure system over the Tasman Sea will remain near stationary into
the weekend. Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului is expected to maintain a southward
track over the next couple of days, well off the east Queensland coast. It
should maintain a similar [Category 4] intensity, although re-intensification to
category 5 is possible.
On Friday the cyclone is expected to turn west-southwest and begin moving closer
to the Queensland coast. On current predictions the most likely scenario is for
the cyclone to impact the central Queensland coast sometime during the weekend.
The windy conditions over much of the Queensland east coastal waters will
continue due to the tight pressure gradient generated by a combination of a high
pressure system situated in the Tasman Sea and Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului.
However, as the cyclone moves south then west-southwest over the Coral Sea winds
are likely to ease over the far northern coast late in the week; while further
increasing about the central and southern Queensland coasts with increasing
swell in southern waters. A large swell is expected in southern waters during
the weekend. Refer to the latest forecasts and warnings for more detail.
In the meantime, scattered squally showers will continue in most east coast
districts, spilling over into adjacent inland areas mainly in the afternoon.
Isolated thunderstorms will continue near Torres Strait. Showers will tend to
clear about the north tropical coast by the weekend, while increasing to rain
with moderate to heavy falls about the central to southern coast during the
weekend as the cyclone nears the central Queensland coast.
In the absence of any forecast major weather systems to the west, most of the
Queensland interior will remain fine into the weekend with temperatures
generally a little below average.

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STAT News Service