Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (updated on Fri 2nd May)

This weekend and next week (May3-May9)

Central QLD: Extended run of surf ahead

Surf building into the weekend.

Tide still too high, will be bigger tomorrow

No great change to the weekend outlook. A dominant (1034hPa) high pressure system is currently moving off the Far South Coast into the Tasman Sea where it very slowly migrates south-eastwards over the weekend. Pressure gradients weaken over temperate NSW while a firm ridge in the sub-tropics holds a S-SE pattern over the weekend. We’ll see initial swells building in o/night from the SE surge with fun waves all weekend.

By Mon a large high will be drifting towards New Zealand with broad fetch of E/SE-SE tradewinds in the South Pacific slot, extending into the Coral Sea and Northern Tasman. That set-up favours the sub-tropics for plenty of workable tradeswell with fun waves expected every day next week.

A new trade flow then builds in the Coral Sea off the dominant high, initially favouring the sub-tropics with a rebuild in SE swell to tradeswell from next weekend. There is some indication we may see low pressure develop in the Coral Sea or South Pacific and tracks southwards long term.

We’ll see how it looks on Mon.

Until then, have a great weekend!