Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Mar 17/12 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

Warning Summary at issue time
A Cyclone Warning has been declared for coastal and island
communities from the Northern Territory/Queensland Border to Cape Keerweer,
including Mornington and Sweers Island.
A Severe Weather Warning is current for parts of the Peninsula district.
A Severe Weather Warning is current for the Herbert and Lower Burdekin, Central
Coast and Whitsundays districts.
Gale and Strong Wind Warnings are current for Eastern Gulf of Carpentaria
waters.
A Strong Wind Warning is current for coastal waters between Bowen and Point
Danger, including Hervey and Moreton Bay.
Flood Warnings are current for various rivers and streams.
For the latest warning information please check the Bureau's
web site www.bom.gov.au/qld
Weather Situation
A deep tropical low lies on the monsoon trough close to the southeast of the
Gulf of Carpentaria. The low is expected to develop further over the southern
Gulf today and may develop into a tropical cyclone during Monday morning. A high
in the Great Australian Bight is expected to move east into the Tasman Sea late
today and extend a strong ridge along the southern coast of Queensland.
Forecast for the rest of Sunday
Rain areas, showers and thunderstorms across the tropics and central coast
with moderate to heavy falls. Showers and rain areas with isolated thunderstorms
elsewhere through central districts and the northwest of the state. Rain areas
across the southern interior and southeast of the state should give way to
showers. The southwest of the state should be fine. Fresh to strong S to SE
winds along the southeast and central coasts. Strong  winds about the Gulf of
Carpentaria coast. Moderate to fresh SE to NE winds elsewhere, tending NW to NE
over the northern tropics.
Forecast for Monday
The high is likely to strengthen over the western reaches of the Tasman Sea
maintaining strong S to SE winds about the southern and central coasts.  The
tropical low or cyclone is likely to remain slow moving in the southern Gulf of
Carpentaria with the monsoon trough extending east to the North Tropical Coast.
Rain areas, showers and thunderstorms will continue about the tropics and
central coast with moderate to heavy falls.  A weakening upper trough is
expected to produce areas of patchy rain and isolated thunderstorms over the
Northwest district and remaining central districts. A fresh to strong onshore
flow should produce scattered showers about the southeast coast, and more
isolated showers over the nearby inland areas.  The southern interior and
southwest should be fine.
Forecast for Tuesday
The high should now lie over New Zealand and should maintain a ridge along
Queensland's east coast. The associated onshore wind flow will maintain showers
about the southeast coast and nearby inland areas, and also over parts of the
central interior.  The tropical low or cyclone is likely to be over the far
northwest of the state with strong to gale force winds continuing in the Gulf.
The monsoon trough is likely to lie from the Gulf Country to around the
Townsville area. Rain areas, showers and isolated thunderstorms with moderate to
heavy falls are likely to extend southwards into parts of the Northwest and
Central West districts.  Moderate to heavy falls are also expected to continue
over the tropics and central coast. The southwest and southern interior should
be fine.
Forecast for Wednesday
The forecast becomes uncertain but it is likely that the tropical low will
move southeast into the northern interior of the state. Rain areas, showers and
thunderstorms with moderate to heavy falls are therefore likely to continue
across northern and central areas. The monsoonal flow over the north of state
could lead to strong winds about the east coast north of Cardwell as well as the
Gulf of Carpentaria. The high near New Zealand should weaken along with the
ridge over the southeast of the state with the strong SE winds finally easing
about the southern and central east coast. Showers are likely to continue about
the southeast but the southwest and southern interior should remain fine.
Outlook for Thursday, Friday and Saturday
The forecast for the outlook period remains very uncertain but it is likely
that the tropical low will continue to move southeast and move off the central
east coast during Thursday night. This is likely shift the area of active
weather through central areas on Thursday and possibly into the southeast of the
state on Friday before clearing offshore on Saturday.
The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:10 pm EST
Sunday.
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This page was created at 03:30 on Sunday 18 March 2012 (GMT)
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