MELBOURNE - Mar 6/13 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.
Warning Summary at issue time A Strong Wind Warning is current for offshore waters from Cooktown to Ayr. A Strong Wind Warning is current for waters from Ayr to Double Island Point, including Hervey 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 high [1025 hPa] over the Tasman Sea will maintain a firm ridge along the southern and central Queensland coast for the remainder of the week. An upper low will remain slow moving over far western Queensland on Thursday. The monsoon trough is situated across northern Queensland and through the northern Coral Sea. A low [998 hPa] is situated along the monsoon trough well offshore over the Coral Sea. The low is expected to intensify while moving in a general eastwards direction away from the Queensland coast over the next few days. Forecast for the rest of Wednesday Scattered showers and gusty thunderstorms west of a line extending from about Cairns to Windorah, with some locally heavy falls likely with storms. Isolated to scattered showers and drizzle areas about most remaining eastern districts, with light showers or drizzle extending inland into the central interior. Fine and partly cloudy through the southern interior. Generally moderate to fresh SW to NW winds across the far northern tropics. Moderate to fresh SE to NE winds elsewhere, strong and gusty along the east coast between Ayr and Double Island Point. A Very High Fire Danger in the Channel Country District. Forecast for Thursday Scattered showers and gusty thunderstorms west of a line extending from about Cooktown to Windorah, with some locally heavy falls likely with storms. Isolated to scattered showers and drizzle areas about most remaining eastern districts, with light showers or drizzle extending inland into the central interior. Fine and mostly sunny through the southern interior. Generally moderate to fresh SW to NW winds across the far northern tropics. Moderate to fresh SE to NE winds elsewhere, strong and gusty along the east coast between Ayr and Double Island Point. A Very High Fire Danger in the Channel Country District. Forecast for Friday The upper level low is likely to move over northwest Queensland and eventually weaken over the tropical interior. Scattered showers and thunderstorms should therefore focus through the Peninsula district near the monsoon trough and into the northwest of the state near the weakening upper low. More isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected near a weak surface trough through the far western Channel Country. The high over the southern Tasman Sea is expected to move slowly eastwards but will maintain a firm ridge with fresh to strong onshore winds and isolated to scattered showers persisting over eastern districts. The developing low or tropical cyclone is expected to move east through the northern Coral Sea, well offshore of the east Queensland coast. Forecast for Saturday The monsoon trough will extend across the far northern tropics, and the low or tropical cyclone is expected to be situated well offshore over the north central Coral Sea. Isolated to scattered shower and thunderstorm activity should occur through the far northern tropics north and west of about Cooktown, more widespread with patchy rain about Torres Strait nearer to the monsoon trough. The high in the Tasman Sea should continue to remain slow moving while maintaining a firm ridge along the Queensland east coast. Isolated to scattered showers will persist through eastern districts and extend inland into the central interior. Fine and mostly sunny conditions are expected through western Queensland. Forecast for Sunday The monsoon trough will extend across the far northern tropics. The low or tropical cyclone is expected to move to the south into the central Coral Sea, remaining well offshore of the Queensland east coast. Isolated to scattered shower and thunderstorm activity should occur through the far northern tropics north of about Cairns, more widespread through Torres Strait nearer to the monsoon trough. The high in the Tasman Sea should continue to remain slow moving while maintaining a firm ridge along the Queensland east coast. Isolated to scattered showers will persist through eastern districts and extend inland into the central interior. Fine and partly cloudy conditions are expected through western Queensland. Outlook for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday A monsoonal wind flow should persist through Torres Strait and over far northern Cape York Peninsula, with scattered showers and thunderstorms expected in this area and more isolated showers and possible thunderstorms over the remaining northern tropics. Some uncertainty exists with the movement of the low or tropical cyclone over the Coral Sea though at this stage it is expected to remain offshore of the east Queensland coast during the outlook period. The high should remain slow moving over the Tasman Sea, maintaining a firm ridge through the southern Coral Sea. Fresh to strong onshore winds will continue to produce isolated to scattered showers over eastern districts, particularly near the coast. Fine conditions should persist under a relatively dry airmass in western Queensland. The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:45 am EST Thursday. 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