Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (issued on Fri 10th March)

This weekend and next week (Mar10-Mar17)

Central QLD: Flat spell ahead

Tiny surf across the region since Wed.

Weak high pressure and a monsoon trough across the Top End linked to a monsoon low in the Gulf are leading to very light winds across the Coral Sea and tiny/flat surf.

Winds feeding into a trough tend E/NE Sat and that may see some 0.5-1ft surf at exposed stretches if you are desperate.

Otherwise surf retreats back to tiny and stays that way for most of next week. Tradewinds get disrupted by a slow moving low in the Tasman Sea (see below) and the first signs we see of possible surf aren’t until next weekend as weak tradewinds set up in the Coral Sea.

Low in Tasman Sea keeps tradewinds too far south for CQ

Keep expectations pegged low though because a frontal progression in the Southern Ocean steams into the Tasman Sea next week, forcing high pressure into a bad position.

We may see a low in the Coral Sea drift in from New Caledonia during the same period but models are showing poor agreement so there is low confidence.

Check back Mon and we’ll see how those potential swell sources are shaping up. 

Until then, have a great weekend!