Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (updated on Mon 29th Jan)

This week and next week (Jan29 -Feb9)

Central QLD: Small fun surf ahead

Surf has gone tiny/flat over the weekend and extended into today.

Nothing today

Weak high pressure in the Tasman (1015hPa) is directing a shallow onshore flow across the Eastern Seaboard with troughs associated with the summer monsoon across the north of the country and into the Coral Sea and some frontal activity continuing to sweep below the continent into the lower Tasman Sea. We’ll see developments from both of those areas during this the week and into the weekend- with developing E swells favouring sub-tropical areas. A few funky days to get though first.  Read on for details. 

A northwards moving trough brings a SE-E/SE flow into the CQ swell window north of Fraser later Wed with small E/SE swells developing Thurs in the rideable 1-1.5ft range and building further into Fri into the 1-2ft range.

Those swells look to ease back a notch over the weekend as the trough tracks towards New Caledonia.

Typical summer pattern to start next week with a high in the Tasman directing a  SE-E flow in the sub-tropics.

E’ly winds off the top of the high will generate workable trade swells for the sub-tropics , no real size to it but it should offer up a fun sized surf to 2ft under SE winds from Mon into Wed at least.

Models are still interested in low pressure development in the tropics with the area between the Solomons and Vanuatu of particular interest. Nothing concrete at this stage as far as surf potential goes but we’ll keep tabs on this area through the week and report back Wed and Fri. Some frontal activity in the lower Tasman looks to supply some small S swell pulses into the medium term, as well.

Check back Wed for the latest.