Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (updated on Wed 10th Jan)

This week and next week (Jan10 -Jan19)

Central QLD: Minor SE surge this week brings some small surf- better outlook next week

Tiny, just rideable surf across CQ. 

Rideable?

A large high SE of the South Island (1034 hPa) interacting with a broad low pressure trough in the South Pacific which will supply E’ly quadrant swell in the near term as the low pressure trough retrogrades back towards the east coast and a SE surge develops up the QLD coast. The high pressure belt remains positioned well to the south with continuing troughiness and SE wind episodes ahead. We’re still in a holding pattern in the tropics with nothing major yet to form despite an active phase of the MJO. 

The SE surge looks to push through later Thurs bringing some small SE-E/SE swell to 1-2ft on Fri (likely biggest surf for a while).

This flush then eases back into the weekend, maintaining just rideable 1-1.5ft surf Sat, tiny Sun.

The next SE surge works it ways north of Fraser Island Mon, bringing an increase in size to 1-1.5ft, bigger 2ft on Tues.

SE surge next week brings rideable surf 

That should settle back to tiny but rideable surf into Wed/Thurs.

Still a chance we may see a broad low in the Coral Sea later next week with an increase in size Fri from a better positioned fetch near New Caledonia and extending into the Central Coral Sea.

We’ll keep tabs on all these prospects and hope something takes hold during this active tropical phase. At a minimum winds off the top of the high look to maintain at least 1ft of E quadrant swell through the end of next week.

Check back Fri for the latest.