Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Aug 12/10 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
A strong wind warning is current for coastal waters south of Double Island Point
including Moreton Bay.
STATE FORECAST
for Friday
Fine over most of the state. Isolated showers over northern Cape York Peninsula
and through Torres Strait. Cloudy periods with areas of drizzle and this morning
over the southern Darling Downs and Granite Belt, and possible sleet over the
Granite Belt, clearing early in the afternoon. Cool over much of the state with
moderate SW to SE winds, fresh and gusty at times about the southeast districts
and far northeast coast.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
Saturday: A surface trough should enter the far southwest of the state during
the afternoon, with gusty SW winds developing in its wake. Some high cloud
should be above the front, but no rain is expected. The high will move off
Queensland's south-east coast and slowly weaken. Remaining dry with fine
conditions except for some isolated showers about the east coast of Cape York
Peninsula and through the Torres Strait. The dry conditions should allow
widespread morning frosts to develop again over the southern and central inland
areas of the state, and also possibly over parts of the Atherton Tablelands.
However winds should gradually shift to a warmer northerly direction during the
day over eastern and central Queensland, and freshen late in the day.
Sunday: The surface trough will pass off the southern coast during the afternoon
and off the remaining east coast overnight allowing cooler SW to SE winds to
spread across much of the state, with gusty conditions at times, particularly
about the south-east corner of the state.  Low level cloud should develop about
the far southern parts of the Maranoa, Darling Downs and Granite Belt during the
afternoon, with some drizzle developing about the Granite Belt. Isolated showers
should continue over far northern Cape York Peninsula and through Torres Strait.
Conditions will be fine elsewhere across the state.
Monday: Ridging from a high over the Great Australian Bight will extend a ridge
into southern Queensland and continue to push dry air over the state. Still
gusty at times about the southeast. However, cloudy conditions will continue
over the Darling Downs and Granite Belt, with some drizzle mainly in the morning
about the Granite Belt area. Isolated stream showers will continue over far
northern Cape York Peninsula and through Torres Strait.
Outlook for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: The high will move across
south-eastern Australia and across the Tasman Sea ahead of a new upper trough
which will move into central australia. As a result the surface winds across the
state will shift from an E to SE direction on Tuesday to a N to NE direction
over southern and central areas of the state on Wednesday, ahead of a gusty SW
wind change, which will move across western and south-western areas of the state
on Thursday. A cloud and rain band will accompany the trough into the south-west
of the state. The showers over northern Cape York Peninsula should also slip
southwards to the Cardwell area during Tuesday and along parts of the remaining
east coast by Thursday. Morning frosts will occur over the southern and
south-east inland on Tuesday morning and then become confined to the southern
Downs on Wednesday morning.

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STAT News Service