Central QLD Forecaster Notes by Steve Shearer (updated on Mon Feb 3rd)

This week and next week (Feb3-Feb14)

Central QLD: Plenty of surf short term, easing with another round next week

Fun waves continue as tropics comes to life.

Plenty of waves over the weekend

We’ve got a standard summer synoptic pattern at the moment with an active monsoon trough stretched across the continent, extending in the west to TC Taliah off the Kimberley Coast and east to tropical lows off North QLD and near New Caledonia. A high pressure in the centre of the Tasman is directing SE-E winds across the sub-tropics, more NE in temperate regions. High pressure support for the tropical systems which is currently anchoring a tradewind fetch in the Coral Sea weakens substantially over the short term, with E swell potential thus weakening. We’ll still see plenty of fun E’ly trade swell in the sub-tropics but the top end potential has taken a haircut as well as the duration of the event.

Expect a peak in size over the next 48hrs then a slow ease off through the rest of the week and into the weekend.

Next week more tropical low pressure is expected in the Coral Sea and EC is suggesting a stronger supporting high pressure system.

Given that we’d see another week of E’ly trade swell with a possibility of something sizier if tropical low pressure intensifies in the swell window. Too early to have any confidence on specifics there. 

We’ll see how it looks on Wed.

Seeya then.