Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Nov 30/12 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

Warning Summary at issue time
A Fire Weather Warning is current for the Channel Country and
Central West districts and parts of the North West district for the remainder of
today.
A Fire Weather Warning has been issued for the Channel Country district and
parts of the Central West, North West and Maranoa and Warrego districts for
Saturday.
For the latest warning information please check the Bureau's
web site www.bom.gov.au/qld
Weather Situation
A ridge lies along the Queensland east coast and combined with a slow moving
trough over central and South Australia extends very hot northerly winds through
western Queensland. The hot airmass will extend further through central and
southeast districts over the weekend as the trough enters southwestern parts of
the state. An upper level trough is expected to shift north over the tropics
over the weekend.
Forecast for the rest of Friday
Isolated showers about the east tropical coast, tending scattered with
possible isolated thunderstorms north of about Cairns. Isolated showers and
thunderstorms in the far northwest of the state and along the west Peninsula
coast. Fine and mostly clear elsewhere. Light to moderate SE to NE winds over
northern and central districts, fresh at times along the coast. Moderate N to NE
winds elsewhere, fresh at times along the far southern coast. A Severe Fire
Danger in the Channel Country and Central West districts and parts of the North
West district. A Very High Fire Danger over remaining western districts and the
Capricornia.
Forecast for Saturday
Isolated showers and thunderstorms over the tropics north of about Cooktown
and also near the Gulf of Carpentaria coast. Isolated showers over the remaining
east tropical coast, scattered during the early morning. Cloud increasing in the
far southwest during the evening though with little or no rain. Fine and mostly
sunny elsewhere. A hot to very hot day through western and southern districts,
particularly through the interior. Light to moderate SE to NE winds over the
tropics and central districts, fresh at times along the east coast. Moderate NW
to NE winds over the remainder, fresh and gusty at times through western
districts and along the coast. A Severe to Extreme fire danger over the Channel
Country district. A Very High to Severe fire danger over remaining western
districts. A Very High fire danger over remaining parts of the interior, the
Capricornia and Wide Bay and Burnett districts.
Forecast for Sunday
The trough will move slowly eastwards through western Queensland and the
southern interior. The trough will trigger isolated showers and gusty
thunderstorms through the interior west and south of Charleville, spreading
eastwards into southeast inland parts during the day, particularly about the
ranges. The southeast coast should remain mostly fine apart from the chance of
isolated showers or storms reaching the coast south of about Brisbane in the
evening. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected over far northern Cape
York Peninsula and Torres Strait and also through the western Gulf Country.
Isolated showers will clear the east tropical coast during the morning as the
ridge along the east coast weakens further. Fine and mostly sunny conditions are
expected elsewhere. Hot to very hot temperatures will persist across western and
southern Queensland.
Forecast for Monday
The ridge along the east coast will weaken further while the trough will most
likely extend from the northwest of the state into the southeastern interior.
The trough is expected to generate isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms over
southeast districts and the southern central interior, possibly increasing to
scattered over the far southeast of the state during the afternoon due to the
passage of an upper trough. A slightly cooler, dry SW'ly wind flow will extend
into far southwestern Queensland. Patchy cloud will extend through remaining
western districts with the chance of isolated showers or storms though with
little or no rain. The tropics will remain mostly fine with only isolated
showers and possible storms through Torres Strait and near the southern Gulf of
Carpentaria coast. Hot to very hot temperatures will occur through central
interior and southeast districts.
Forecast for Tuesday
The trough will most likely contract off the far southern Queensland coast
during the day, with a dry W'ly wind flow gradually extending through to the
coast Brisbane and south. The isolated shower and thunderstorm area should
therefore focus through the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Burnett and Capricornia
districts. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are again likely about the
southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast, with isolated showers also expected through
Torres Strait. Some patchy cloud will persist in the west though with little or
no rain expected. Fine and mostly sunny conditions will occur elsewhere. Very
hot temperatures will occur over much of the state, particularly through
southeast and central districts.
Outlook for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
The surface trough will most likely contract east off the Fraser coast into
the southern Coral Sea during Wednesday but slope back into the tropics.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms should therefore contract north into the
tropics and central coast during Wednesday, with fine and mostly sunny
conditions expected to the south. A high will move east over southeastern
Australia  and into the Tasman Sea during Thursday, extending a ridge along the
east Queensland coast and contracting the trough in the tropics further west
into the northern interior. This trough will continue to retreat west into
western Queensland by Friday, with isolated showers and thunderstorms occurring
through northern and central districts to its east. Temperatures will decrease
through southeastern and southern central districts during the outlook period as
winds tend cooler SE to NE'ly.
The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:45 am EST
Saturday.
Notice Board
Northwest Queensland weather radar installation complete
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This page was created at 07:00 on Friday 30 November 2012 (GMT)
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STAT News Service