Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (issued on Fri 9th Mar)

This week and next week (Mar11-Mar19)

Central QLD: Waves most days as Tradewinds maintain an active surf pattern.

A Tasman low is now transiting under the South Island, with a long band of high pressure tracking through the Bight and expected to seed a large high pressure cell into the Tasman over-night and into tomorrow. That will set up a fresh ridge of high pressure along the f/cast region over the weekend.  So expect moderate Sou-easters all weekend, and useful amounts of SE trade swell building into the 2ft range through Saturday, holding into Sun. 

Plenty of SE winds adjacent to the CQ coast maintain rideable surf

SE winds through the Central Coral Sea should maintain a steady drumbeat of surf in the 1-2ft range through next week as another monster high moves south of Tasmania on Mon or Tues, resetting the ridge of high pressure up the QLD coast. 

Long range E/SE swell generated by a powerful fetch in the South Pacific is expected to make landfall late Sat, with some stray 2ft sets. Bigger 2-3ft surf is expected Sun, holding into Mon. This swell will be pulsey and inconsistent and only really showing at exposed breaks on the Burnett coast and outer reefs. 

Into the end of next week and we should see a dip in surf through Thurs and Fri as the ridge slackens. A rebuild in surf is expected through next weekend as E’ly winds through the Coral Sea kick in again.

All in all, it should be an active period with waves most days.

Check Mon for an update and have a great weekend!