Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (issued on Mon 23rd May)

This weekend and next week (May23-June3)

Central QLD: Waves for the first half of the week, first flat spell of the season by the weekend.

Surf eases and holds at fun levels through the first half of the week before a seasonal change kicks in and surf goes flat.

Fun waves over the weekend

A large (1031 hPa) high has been incredibly sluggish over the weekend, barely moving from it’s position over Tasmania, and as such a ridge along the East Coast has only slightly began to break down. Sub-tropical troughs and the remnants of TC Gina near New Caledonia are maintaining a deep E’ly flow through the Coral Sea, which has seen plenty of surf across the CQ coast.

In the short run a trough off the CQ coast maintains an E’ly fetch, albeit a bit disjointed compared to previous weeks. That should hold surf in the 2ft range through Tues and Wed with SE winds, tending more SSE then S’ly later Wed.

By Thurs the trough forms into a surface low and starts to move south, which heralds the end of an amazing run of of surf for the CQ coast. Expect surf to ease off through Thurs as the fetch is dragged southwards, effectively out of the CQ swell window.

By Friday winds will veer more SW to WSW as the low tracks south and surf will ease then become tiny/flat.

Tiny/flat surf then extends over the weekend.

Into next week and the pattern changes with a major front pushing up into NSW and even affecting QLD. That will see W’ly winds become established and surf blown flat.

Check back Wed and we’ll see whether there is another late season swell for CQ or whether typical seasonal flatness will set in for an extended period.

Seeya then.