View the current warnings for Queensland
Forecast issued at 4:30 am EST on Tuesday 5 December 2023.
Weather Situation
A weak pressure gradient and a warm unstable air mass persist over northern Queensland. A trough extends over western Queensland. This drifts west and weakens today. A high in the southern Tasman Sea will extend a ridge northward over the east of the state. The ridge will persist most of the week as the high drifts slowly east. A new trough may move across southern Queensland over the weekend. A tropical low near the Solomon Islands will move south-southwest today and has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the far northeastern Coral Sea later today. This low is forecast to drift south during the latter part of this week with further development likely, though remain well east of the Queensland coast with no direct impacts expected in the next 7 days.
Forecast for the rest of Tuesday
Isolated showers in eastern districts, tending scattered about the east coast and Far North Queensland. The chance of thunderstorms in western, central and northern Queensland mainly well inland of the east coast. Mostly sunny elsewhere. Severe heatwave conditions in the southwest along with parts of the Gulf Country and western Peninsula districts. Maximum temperatures near average in eastern districts, above average elsewhere in the interior and west and well above average in the far southwest.
Fire Danger - High for the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, North West and Channel Country districts.
Wednesday 6 December
Isolated showers about the east coast north of Mackay, tending scattered about the North Tropical Coast and eastern Peninsula. Isolated showers and the chance of a thunderstorm in the northwest and western Peninsula. Mostly sunny elsewhere. Severe heatwave conditions in southwest, along with parts of the Gulf Country and western Peninsula districts. Moderate to fresh and gusty east to northeasterly winds leading to elevated fire dangers over central and interior Queensland. Maximum temperatures near average in eastern districts, above average elsewhere, and tending well above average in the southwest, southern and southeastern interior.
Thursday 7 December
Isolated showers about the east coast north of Mackay tending scattered about the North Tropical Coast. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorm about the western Peninsula and southern Gulf coast. Mostly sunny elsewhere. Severe heatwave conditions in the southwest and southern interior. Moderate to fresh and gusty east to northeasterly winds leading to elevated fire dangers in central and interior districts. Maximum temperatures near average in eastern and northeastern districts, near or above average elsewhere and tending well above average in the southwest, southern and southeastern interior.
Friday 8 December
Isolated showers about the east coast north of Mackay tending scattered about the North Tropical Coast. Isolated showers and thunderstorms along the southern Gulf coast tending scattered about the western Peninsula. Partly cloudy along the east coast, mostly sunny elsewhere. Severe heatwave conditions in the southwest and southern interior. Fresh to strong southeasterly winds developing about the east coast south of Townsville. High fire dangers in central and southern Queensland. Maximum temperatures near average in eastern and central districts, above average elsewhere, and well above average across inland southern Queensland.
Saturday until Monday
Isolated showers about the east coast, tending scattered south of The Whitsundays from Sunday. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms about the southern Gulf Coast tending scattered to widespread over the northern Peninsula. Isolated showers and thunderstorms developing in the southwest on Saturday and extend across southern and central Queensland from Sunday. Partly cloudy elsewhere. Severe heatwave conditions in the southwest and southern interior easing. Fresh to strong southeasterly winds about the east coast south of Townsville. High fire dangers for interior districts. Maximum temperatures near average in eastern districts south of Bowen, near or above average elsewhere, and well above average across inland southern Queensland. Maximums tending below average in the western Peninsula, southwest and southeast from Monday.
The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:30 pm EST Tuesday.
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