Harrow,
I agree with your sentiments exactly.
The southerlies we have had recently around SE Qld have been primarily frontal driven, and these are often very gusty - quite reminiscent of sailing in Melbourne. The wind comes through with the rain squalls then backs off when the sun is shining
It is a case of pot luck when the weather is like this.
With regard to this season I can recall hardly any sea-breeze based SE'ers - all frontal. First day - windiest- second day less, 3rd day marginal to none. Typically windier early in the afternoon 1-3 pm.
With the water mass now heated up to near its maximum and slightly less solar radiation, land mass temps are lower meaning less 'delta T' and hence less or weaker sea-breezes. (this is in really simplistic terms). We now have land breezes in the morning where I am cos the waster temp is > land temp (early inshore SW winds).
- J
