Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Oct 20/10 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

IDQ1070001
WARNING SUMMARY
1. Flood warnings are current for the Balonne, Condamine, Lower Macintyre and
Lower Barcoo Rivers, as well as for Cooper Creek.
2. A strong wind warning is current for coastal waters between Torres Strait and
Gladstone.
STATE FORECAST
for Wednesday night and Thursday
Cloudy with rain areas across the southern and central tropics with moderate to
heavy falls possible about the tropical coast. A few showers along the east
coast and the adjacent inland, scattered about the Capricornia and Central
Coasts. Isolated showers and thunderstorms over the north-west, spreading across
the remaining west of the state during Thursday. Moderate to fresh SE to E
winds, strong about the east coast north of Gladstone and contracting to north
of Bowen on Thursday.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK
Friday: The high will continue to move slowly across the Tasman Sea with the
ridge weakening a little along the east coast. At the same time the middle
trough will move off the east coast late in the day. So showers will continue
along the east coast becoming scattered north of Cardwell. Some of these showers
will spill over into the adjacent inland. The cloud and rain band produced by
the middle trough will move off the east tropical coast during the morning.
Isolated showers and storms triggered by the middle trough will develop about
the south-east inland in the afternoon. A few showers and storms will continue
about western Cape York Peninsula.
Saturday: The high will reach the New Zealand area. So the ridge along the east
coast will weaken further while the inland trough will sharpen over the
south-west. Middle level ridging will keep conditions fine over most areas of
the state. Isolated showers will continue along the east coast while isolated
showers and storms will continue about the Gulf of Carpentaria. Moderate to
fresh SE winds will continue along the east tropical coast while light to
moderate SE to NE winds will continue elsewhere.
Sunday: The ridge along the east coast will weaken a little further while a new
middle trough moves across south-eastern Australia. So a new cloud and rain band
with storms will move across most southern districts of the state during the
day. Isolated showers will continue along the east tropical coast while isolated
storms will continue about the Gulf of Carpentaria coast. Moderate to fresh SE
winds will continue along the east tropical coast while light to moderate SE to
NE winds will continue elsewhere.
The outlook for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: The middle trough will move off
the far southern coast during Monday as a new system moves into NSW and then
moves off the coast on Wednesday. So further rain, showers and storms will occur
over the south-east on Monday and Tuesday before easing to just showers and
storms on Wednesday. Isolated showers will continue along the east tropical
coast north of Cardwell in the onshore moderate to fresh SE flow.

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STAT News Service