Australia -- Queensland Weather Update

MELBOURNE - Oct 21/13 - SNS -- The current forecast for the state of Queensland was released by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

Weather Situation
A high (1024 hPa) over the eastern Tasman Sea extends a firm ridge along the east Queensland coast. The ridge will gradually relax over the next few days as the high shifts further east and weakens. A surface trough will enter western Queensland today and should then shift east over the interior of the state during Wednesday before contracting off the southern Queensland coast late Thursday. A mid level trough will move west through the northern tropics during Tuesday and Wednesday.
Forecast for the rest of TuesdayMostly cloudy with showers increasing about the east Tropical Coast and ranges north of Townsville and the chance of local thunder. Cloud and isolated showers developing from the east through the remaining tropics, with isolated late thunderstorms about the western Peninsula and northern Gulf Country districts. Isolated showers about the central coast, clearing during the day. Partly cloudy with isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms through areas west of about Burketown to Mount Isa to Cunnamulla, though little rainfall is expected. Fine and mostly sunny elsewhere. A hot day through western districts and the southeastern interior with moderate to fresh and gusty north to northwesterly winds, strong at times in the southwest ahead of a cooler southwesterly change extending from the west late in the day. Moderate to fresh east to southeasterly winds along the east coast north of Fraser Island, tending north to northeasterly along the southern coast. Moderate east to northeasterly winds elsewhere, fresh at times over the interior.Fire Danger -  Severe in the Maranoa and Warrego and Channel Country districts. High to Very High elsewhere.Wednesday 23 OctoberThe trough will move eastwards over the interior of the state and is expected to extend from the Gulf Country to the southwestern Darling Downs at night. Cloud will increase further through western Queensland and the southern interior with isolated showers and gusty thunderstorms expected, increasing to scattered near the trough over the Maranoa and Warrego and southern Central West districts during the afternoon and evening. The ridge will relax further along the east Queensland coast and the mid level trough will shift further west, resulting in a decrease in shower activity along the northeast tropical coast during the day. The mid level trough will most likely result in isolated showers increasing to scattered over the tropical interior during the afternoon with possible isolated thunderstorms. Isolated thunderstorms are again expected about the west Peninsula coast and northern Gulf Country. Isolated light showers will possibly occur during the morning about the central, Capricornia, and Fraser coasts in an onshore wind flow. Fine and mostly sunny conditions are expected elsewhere. The hot conditions and enhanced fire dangers will spread through the Maranoa and Warrego into southeast districts in the moderate to fresh and gusty north to northeasterly wind flow ahead of the trough. A cooler, fresh and gusty south to southwesterly wind flow will develop in the wake of the trough.Thursday 24 OctoberThe trough will continue moving eastwards and will most likely contract off the southern Queensland coast late in the day. The trough is expected to generate scattered showers and gusty thunderstorms over southeast and southern central districts with its passage. Temperatures will also rise to be well above the October average through these parts in the fresh northerly wind flow ahead of the trough. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will possibly develop on the inland section of the trough through the northwest and central interior. A large high will move east into the Great Australian Bight, extending a firm ridge into southwestern Queensland in the wake of the trough with dry, sunny and cooler conditions expected. A moist onshore wind flow will result in isolated showers over the tropics north of about Coen, with isolated thunderstorms again expected along the west Peninsula coast.Friday 25 OctoberThe trough and an associated cooler south to southeasterly wind change is expected to move north through southern Queensland waters into Capricornia waters. The inland portion of the trough is expected to remain slow moving through the central interior. This will result in isolated showers increasing to scattered through the central interior, Capricornia and northern Wide Bay with isolated gusty thunderstorms likely. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are also possible near the trough through the central west into the tropical interior and southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast. Isolated showers will occur over the southeast near and east of the Great Dividing Range in a moist onshore wind flow and should be more scattered near the coast during the morning due to the trough passage. Isolated light showers will also possibly develop over the northeast tropical coast. Fine and mostly sunny conditions are expected elsewhere with temperatures remaining a little below the October average through the southwest.Saturday until MondayThe unstable conditions and thunderstorm activity should contract offshore during the weekend with the passage of an upper level trough. The high will move slowly east towards southeastern Australia, extending a ridge along the east Queensland coast with isolated showers along much of the coast on Saturday before decreasing as the ridge weakens. Thunderstorm activity remains likely near the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast during the weekend before most likely clearing on Monday. A new trough system will possibly enter the southwest on Monday with increasing instability leading to a greater chance of showers and thunderstorms in the southern interior.The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:30 pm EST Tuesday.Product IDQ10700
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This page was created at 22:30 on Monday 21 October 2013 (GMT)
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