Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (issued on Fri 13th Jan)

This weekend and next week (Jan13-Jan19)

Central QLD: Constant Tradewinds from this weekend maintain a steady drumbeat of small, fun surf

No great change to the weekend f/cast. We’ve got a weak, blocking pattern with high pressure (1025 hPa) right smack bang in the middle of the Tasman directing an onshore flow along the Eastern Seaboard with E/SE Tradewinds extending through the sub-tropical to tropical Coral Sea. Warm SST (sea surface temperatures) are helping morning land breeze development so conditions should be relatively clean through the early sessions.

Nothing complicated about the f/cast for CQ over the weekend and into next week. The Coral Sea proximate to CQ develops a 15-20knot tradewind coverage today and extending into next week and that will see a steady drumbeat of small, fun waves.

Expect size in the 1-1.5ft range Sat, boosting a notch to 1-2ft Sun at exposed Burnett Coast breaks.

Into next week and Tradewinds maintain strength and a signal of 1-2ft surf, building a notch through Tues/Wed as winds freshen around the southern arm of the monsoon trough.

We should see a small boost in longer range ESE swell from an E’ly dip near the North Island through Fri with some inconsistent 2-3ft sets at breaks with exposure to the Capricorn Channel.

Expect that pulse to ease next weekend.

Any easing will be brief as Tradewinds re-establish, potentially boosted by a monsoonal low in the Coral Sea late next week, into the weekend. This is too far off to have any confidence in so check back Mon and we’ll see how it’s shaping up. 

In the meantime, have a great weekend!