Queensland

Coastal Waters Forecast for Northern Queensland
Issued at 4:50 am EST on Saturday 4 February 2012

Please be aware
Wind gusts can be 40 percent stronger than the averages given here, and maximum
waves may be up to twice the height

Warning Summary at issue time
A Strong Wind Warning is current.

Weather Situation
At 4am, a tropical low [989 hPa] was located over the Coral Sea approximately
260 nm east of Cairns and moving east southeast at 10 knots. The low will
continue to move east southeast away from the Queensland coast over the weekend.

Peninsula Waters, Torres Strait to Cooktown:
A Strong Wind Warning is current.
Saturday until midnight: Winds: North of Cape Grenville: W to NW 20 to 30
knots. South of Cape Grenville: W to NW 15 to 25 knots, reaching 25 to 30 knots
at times outside the reef during the morning. Seas: 3 metres outside the reef,
decreasing to 2.2 metres south of Cape Grenville in the afternoon, and to 1.7
metres inside the reef. Swell: NW 1.5 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres
outside the reef south of Cape Grenville. Squally showers and thunderstorms.
Sunday: Winds: North of Cape Grenville: W to NW 20 to 25 knots, reaching 25 to
30 knots at times during the morning. South of Cape Grenville: W to NW 15 to 20
knots, reaching 20 to 25 knots at times outside the reef during the morning.
Seas: 2.2 metres outside the reef, reaching 3 metres north of Cape Grenville,
and 1.2 to 1.7 metres inside the reef. Swell: NW 2 metres outside the reef south
of Cape Grenville.
Monday: Winds: W to NW 15 to 20 knots, reaching 20 to 25 knots north of Cape
Grenville.

North Tropical Waters, Cooktown to Cardwell:
A Strong Wind Warning is current.
Saturday until midnight: Winds: W to SW 15 to 25 knots, reaching 25 to 30 knots
outside the reef until late afternoon or evening. Seas: 3 metres outside the
reef, decreasing to 2.2 metres in the evening, and 1.2 to 1.7 metres inside the
reef. Swell: NW 2 to 3 metres. Rain areas, squally showers and thunderstorms.
Sunday: Winds: W to SW 10 to 15 knots, reaching 15 to 20 knots at times during
the morning. Winds tending NW to NE 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon and evening.
Seas: 1.2 metres outside the reef, reaching 1.7 metres during the morning, and
to 1 metre inside the reef. Swell: NW 2 metres outside the reef. Rain areas and
thunderstorms, decreasing to patchy rain and isolated thunderstorms during the
afternoon.
Monday: Winds: SW to NW 10 to 15 knots, reaching 15 to 20 knots north of Cape
Tribulation. Winds tending NW to NE 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon.

Tropical Waters, Cardwell to Bowen:
A Strong Wind Warning is current.
Saturday until midnight: Winds: North of Townsville: SE to SW 15 to 25 knots,
reaching 25 to 30 knots offshore until late afternoon. South of Townsville: SE
25 to 30 knots, decreasing to 15 to 20 knots inshore in the afternoon. Offshore
winds decreasing SE 20 to 25 knots late afternoon or evening. Seas: 2 to 3
metres in open waters. Swell: SE to NE 2 metres in open waters. Rain areas,
squally showers and thunderstorms.
Sunday: Winds: SE to SW 10 to 15 knots, reaching 15 to 20 knots offshore south
of Townsville during the morning. Winds tending variable 5 to 10 knots in the
afternoon. Seas: 1.2 metres in open waters, reaching 1.7 metres offshore south
of Townsville early morning. Swell: E to SE 2 metres in open waters.
Monday: Winds: NW to NE 10 to 15 knots.

Central Coast Waters, Bowen to St Lawrence:
A Strong Wind Warning is current.
Saturday until midnight: Winds: North of Mackay: SE 25 to 30 knots, decreasing
to 20 to 25 knots from the southwest during the afternoon and evening. South of
Mackay: SE 15 to 20 knots, reaching 20 to 25 knots at times. Seas: 2 to 3 metres
in open waters. Swell: SE to NE 2 metres in open waters Patchy rain, tending to
isolated showers during the morning.
Sunday: Winds: SE 15 to 20 knots at first, reaching 20 to 25 knots offshore.
Winds easing S to SE 10 to 15 knots late morning and tending SE to NE 10 to 15
knots in the afternoon. Seas: 1.7 to 2.2 metres in open waters, decreasing to
1.2 metres late morning. Swell: E to SE 2 metres in open waters.
Monday: Winds: NW to NE 10 to 15 knots.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 3:05 pm EST Saturday.