Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (updated on Mon 1st May)

This week and next week (May 1-May12)

Central QLD: Easing swells this week

Plenty of surf over the weekend but we are back to small leftovers now as the tradewind pattern and tropical low moves southwards through the Tasman Sea.

Last of the E swell wrapping in

Low pressure troughs off the NSW and SEQLD coast combined with high pressure over the interior and frontal activity to the south are driving a W’ly flow across the Eastern Seaboard, with a weak ridge up the QLD coast generating weak S-SE breezes.

Surf is now declining back to tiny levels with just minor levels of background swell expected from tradewinds in the South Pacific- around a foot at the most exposed Burnett breaks, tiny elsewhere.

We may see a small increase in E swell this weekend as SE winds increase in the Coral Sea and background E swells combine but keep expectations low as any increase is only likely to push the most exposed break into the 1-2ft range, remaining tiny elsewhere.

Winds in the South Pacific supply small, background swells next week

Further into next week and we’ll see a cold outbreak in the Tasman Sea and SE winds pushed northwards up the Tropical QLD Coast, with CQ going tiny from that source. Long range E swell should continue to supply some inconsistent 1-2ft surf for exposed breaks next week from Mon-Wed.

Check back Wed for the latest.