Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (issued on Fri 20th May)

This weekend and next week (May21-28)

Central QLD: Surf over the weekend easing early next week with more to come

Surf is building today as a trough off the CQ coast enhances a trade-fetch through the Coral Sea.

Bit raggedy but on the build

The Coral Sea has become inflamed with SE-ESE Tradewinds, enhanced by a trough off the CQ Coast and a developing low near New Caledonia, with a large high near Tasmania having established a firm ridge up the QLD coast. Through the weekend, short range ESE swell from the tradewind fetch will supply the dominant swell trains, especially in CQLD.

That leaves our weekend f/cast fundamentally unchanged.

Plenty of SE/ESE wind and plenty of short range ESE swell. 

Winds are at their strongest Sat with windspeeds up around 20/30 knots and surf in the 2-3ft foot range.

Tradewinds feeding into trough bring plenty of surf this weekend

Winds should slacken a a notch through Sunday with size easing a little too as the trough dissipates and windspeeds in the fetch wind down.

Into next week and we’ll see a slow rolling off and then levelling out in size, back into the 1ft range, slightly bigger at the most exposed breaks. Tradewinds ease back but remain in place so surf won’t go dead flat, you’ll need a big board to ride what is on offer though.

Longer term and more Tradewinds in the Coral Sea are expected to develop later next week although they look to contract Eastwards through into next weekend. That suggests more small surf from the E next weekend. 

Check back Mon for a fresh update and have a great weekend!