Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Mar 18/12 - 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 is current 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 the Herbert and Lower Burdekin, Central
Coast and Whitsundays, Capricornia and North Tropical Coast and Tablelands
districts.
Strong Wind Warning for Eastern Gulf of Carpentaria waters.
Strong Wind Warning 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 over far southeast Gulf of
Carpentaria. The low is expected to develop further over the southern Gulf 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 patchy rain areas elsewhere through
central districts and the northwest of the state. 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
Rain areas, showers and thunderstorms will continue about the tropics and
central coast with moderate to heavy falls. Showers and areas of patchy rain
over the northwest and central districts. Scattered showers about the southeast
coast, with more isolated showers over the nearby inland areas.  The southern
interior and southwest should be fine. Fresh to strong S to SE winds about the
southern and central coasts, tending NW to NE over the northern tropics.
Forecast for Tuesday
The high should lie over New Zealand maintaining 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.
Forecast for Thursday
The monsoon low is likely to begin to interact with an upper level trough
moving east through central Australia, leading to a change to a southeasterly
track through the northwest and central interior of Queensland. Rain areas with
moderate to heavy falls are likely to accompany the system in a band from the
northwest through the central highlands. Showers and rain areas with a few
thunderstorms should continue in the monsoon flow over the northern tropics,
while showers and some rain areas should affect most of the east coast and
nearby inland.  Isolated showers should continue about the far southeast, with
fine conditions persisting in the southwest.
Outlook for Friday, Saturday and Sunday
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 Friday night or Saturday morning. 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 4:45 am EST
Monday.
Weather & Warnings
Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Warnings Summary
Forecasts
Brisbane Forecast
Qld. Forecast Areas Map
Observations
Brisbane Observations
All Queensland Observations
Rainfall & River Conditions
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory
Antarctic
Global
Warnings
Water
Climate
Environment
Tropical Cyclones
Tsunami Warning Centre
Agriculture - Water and the Land
Marine & Ocean
UV & Sun Protection
Rainfall & River Conditions
Graphical Views
Radar
Maps
Rainfall Forecasts
Seasonal Outlooks
Climate Variability & Change
Climate Data Online
Seasonal Streamflow Forecasts
Water Storage
Forecast Explorer™
NSW & ACT
National Weather Services
Aviation Weather Services
Defence Services
Registered User Services
Commercial Weather Services
Careers
Sitemap
Feedback
Freedom of Information
Indigenous Weather Knowledge
Learn About Meteorology
This page was created at 15:45 on Sunday 18 March 2012 (GMT)
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility
var hostname = window.location.hostname;
var host = hostname.split(".");
if (host[0] == "reg")
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-20386085-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
else if (host[0] == "www")
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-3816559-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
else if (host[0] == "wdev")
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21709175-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();

---

STAT News Service