MELBOURNE - Dec 2/12 - 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 for the rest of today. A Fire Weather Warning has been issued for the Channel Country, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts and parts of the North West and Central West districts for Monday. For the latest warning information please check the Bureau's web site www.bom.gov.au/qld Weather Situation A high [1020 hPa] in the Tasman Sea extends a weakening ridge along the east coast of Queensland. This high combined with a slow moving trough over western Queensland extends very hot northerly winds over Queensland's interior. The trough will move slowly eastwards and extend from the northwest of the state into the southeastern interior on Monday. Forecast for the rest of Sunday Isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms through western districts, the southern interior and southern Central Highlands and Coalfields district. Mostly fine in the southeast, apart from isolated showers and thunderstorms, about the ranges. Isolated showers and possible thunderstorms over the far northern and western tropics. Fine and mostly clear conditions elsewhere. 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 fire danger in the Channel Country. A Very High fire danger over remaining western districts and most of the interior of the state. Forecast for Monday Isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms over southeast districts and the southern central interior, increasing to scattered over the southeast in the afternoon and evening. Mostly fine over western districts with the chance of isolated showers or storms though with little or no rain. Mostly fine in the tropics with only isolated showers and possible storms through Torres Strait and near the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast. Hot to very hot through the central interior and southeast districts. Moderate to fresh and gusty S to SW winds over the southwest and southern interior. Mostly light to moderate SE to NE winds over the remainder, fresh at times through the central interior and along the east coast. Very High to Severe fire dangers over western districts and the southern interior. A Very High fire danger over the central and tropical interior and the Gulf Country, Capricornia, Wide Bay Burnett and Southeast Coast 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 the Southeast Coast district. The isolated shower and thunderstorm area should therefore focus through the Wide Bay and Burnett district, the central coast and parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields districts. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are again likely about the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast, with isolated showers also expected through Torres Strait. A high pressure system in the Great Australian Bight should extend a drier S'ly airmass over the western and southern interior in the wake of the trough, with only some patchy cloud 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 with an enhanced fire danger. Forecast for Wednesday The surface trough is expected to contract east off the Fraser Coast into the southern Coral Sea but slope back into the tropics. Isolated shower and thunderstorm activity should therefore contract north into the tropics and central coast. The high pressure system in the Great Australian Bight is expected to move slowly eastwards towards southeastern Australia bringing milder conditions to the western interior. Conditions will remain fine and mostly sunny elsewhere. Fresh and dry S'ly winds over much of the state will continue to bring enhanced fire dangers. Forecast for Thursday The high pressure system should move east over southeastern Australia and into the Tasman Sea extending a ridge along the east coast of Queensland, contracting the trough into the northern interior. Fresh SE winds will extend north along the east coast to the tropics, injecting moisture into the southern tropical interior. Isolated showers along the east coast with the focus for thunderstorm activity shifting into the tropics and northern parts of the central interior. Fine and mostly sunny conditions will occur over remaining parts of the state. Dry conditions over the west of the state will continue to bring enhanced fire dangers. Outlook for Friday, Saturday and Sunday The surface trough will retreat further west into western Queensland on Friday and remain near stationary, with isolated showers and thunderstorms occurring through northern and central districts to its east. Isolated coastal showers will contract into the central and tropical coasts on Saturday, and into the northern tropics on Sunday. An upper trough is expected to shift the focus for shower and thunderstorm activity into the central and southern interior on Sunday. Temperatures will decrease through southeastern and southern central districts during the outlook period with cooler SE to NE'ly winds expected. The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:45 am EST Monday. 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