MELBOURNE - Dec 8/10 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.
Warning Summary at issue time Flood warnings are current for the Bulloo, Condamine, Maranoa, Paroo, Barcoo and Warrego Rivers, the Balonne River and tributaries, the Fitzroy River Basin and Cooper Creek. For the latest warning information please check the Bureau's web site www.bom.gov.au/qld Weather Situation A weakening high pressure system [1024 hPa] over the southern Tasman Sea extends a ridge over the southern Coral Sea. A surface trough lies over southwest Queensland. Unstable conditions persist over much of the state ahead of this surface trough. Forecast for the rest of Thursday Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms over the northern tropics and western Queensland, increasing to thundery rain southwest of about Mount Isa to Charleville late in the day and tonight with moderate to locally heavy falls developing. Isolated showers and possible afternoon thunderstorms over the central and southeast interior. Isolated showers and morning drizzle about most of the southeast. Mostly light to moderate SE to NE winds along the east coast, shifting moderate NE to NW over the interior ahead of a gusty S'ly change moving over the Channel Country. Forecast for Friday The high is expected to weaken further over the Tasman Sea and move east. The surface trough will shift further east to lie near Normanton to Longreach to Roma by evening. At the same time an upper level trough will move across the state. The combination of the two systems should result in a band of rain and thunderstorms extending from the Gulf Country into the southern interior, easing to isolated showers in the far southwest during the day. Possible locally heavy falls within the band, particularly with thunderstorms. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms over northern Cape York Peninsula and along the northeast tropical coast. Mostly fine over the southeast with only very isolated showers expected. Isolated showers and thunderstorms elsewhere. Moderate SE to NE winds east of the trough, tending NE to NW over the interior. Moderate to fresh S to SE winds behind the trough. Cool daytime temperatures over western parts under the cloud. Forecast for Saturday The surface trough is expected to remain slow moving over central parts of the state. Another upper level trough will approach western Queensland and start to move slowly east. The band of rain and thunderstorms with possibly locally heavy falls should continue to extend over northwestern parts of the state into the southern interior, extending east into the central interior and southeast during the day. Possible isolated showers over the southwest in the wake of the rain band. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms over the tropics, increasing to thundery rain areas over the tropical interior. Light to moderate SE to NE winds over the tropics. Moderate NE to NW winds elsewhere over eastern and central districts, fresh at times along the southeast coast. Moderate to fresh S to SE winds over the west of the state. Cool daytime temperatures over the interior. Forecast for Sunday The surface trough is expected to continue to extend from the Gulf Country into the central and southeast interior. The upper level trough should shift a little further east, producing a band of rain and thunderstorms from the tropics and over central and southeast districts. Fine over the southwest in the wake of the troughs. Moderate to fresh S to SE winds over western districts. Moderate NE to NW winds elsewhere, fresh at times along the southeast coast. Outlook for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday The surface trough is likely to remain slow moving from the northwest to the southeast of the state on Monday before weakening on Tuesday and Wednesday. The upper level trough will shift east, most likely pushing offshore of the east coast on Tuesday. A surface trough may develop off the central or Capricorn coast in response to this upper trough moving offshore. Thundery rain areas should ease to showers and isolated thunderstorms over the southeast by Monday. Rain areas and thunderstorms continuing over central and northern districts, most likely easing to showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday. Fine in the west apart from the possibility of isolated showers developing on Wednesday. The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:10 pm EST Thursday. Weather & Warnings Australia Warnings Summary External Territories Major Cities Weather Maps Rainfall & River Conditions New South Wales Warnings Summary Forecasts Sydney Forecast NSW Forecast Areas Map Observations Sydney Observations All NSW Observations Rainfall & River Conditions Victoria Warnings Summary Forecasts Melbourne Metro Forecast Vic. Forecast Areas Map Observations Melbourne Observations All Victorian Observations Rainfall & River Conditions Queensland Warnings Summary Forecasts Brisbane Forecast Qld. Forecast Areas Map Observations Brisbane Observations All Queensland Observations Rainfall & River Conditions Western Australia Warnings Summary Forecasts Perth Forecast WA Forecast Areas Map Observations Perth Observations All WA Observations Rainfall & River Conditions South Australia Warnings Summary Forecasts Adelaide Forecast SA Forecast Areas Map Observations Adelaide Observations All SA Observations Rainfall & River Conditions Tasmania Warnings Summary Forecasts Hobart Forecast Tas. Forecast Areas Map Observations Hobart Observations All Tasmanian Observations Rainfall & River Conditions Australian Capital Territory Warnings Summary Forecasts ACT and Canberra Forecast Observations Canberra Observations Northern Territory Warnings Summary Forecasts Darwin and Rural Forecast NT Forecast Areas Map Observations Darwin Observations All NT Observations Rainfall & River Conditions Antarctic Global National Weather Services Radar Viewer Tropical Cyclones Tsunami Warnings Flood Warnings --> Weather Maps Satellite Images Agriculture Marine UV Protection Home About Us Contacts Careers Search Site Map Help Feedback Weather & Warnings Climate Information Water Information Radar RSS Learn About Meteorology This page was created at 21:48 on Wednesday 8 December 2010 (GMT) © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2010, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) Please note the Copyright Notice and Disclaimer statements relating to the use of the information on this site and our site Privacy and Accessibility statements. Users of these web pages are deemed to have read and accepted the conditions described in the Copyright, Disclaimer, and Privacy statements. Please also note the Acknowledgement notice relating to the use of information on this site. No unsolicited commercial email.
---
STAT News Service
Only active subscribers can read all of this article.
If you are a subscriber, please log into the website.
If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe to this edition of the STAT website and to learn more about becoming a subscriber.