May-day: Severe weather to batter Gold Coast

Heavy rain totalling 200-400mm, damaging winds up to 90 km/h, dangerous surf with significant beach erosion, and tides 0.5m above normal are set to batter the Gold Coast and south-east Queensland on the first day of May 2015.

Ex-TC Marcia: When will she impact the Gold Coast?

8:50pm Update: Ex-tropical cyclone Marcia continues to move off the southeast Queensland coast with the heaviest rain bypassing most of the Gold Coast. However the possibility for damaging winds and dangerous surf conditions remain.

Get Ready: Heavy rain, strong winds, dangerous surf on Thu/Fri

Up to 400mm rain may drench the Gold Coast by the end of the week, along with strong winds, high seas and dangerous surf conditions expected on Thursday and Friday.

Total Forecast Rainfall -
16 to 23 February 2015

Less rain Friday, but strong winds and powerful surf into the weekend

***This rain event was cancelled due to unexpected good weather :) ***
Whilst we're now only expecting 50mm on Friday and 15mm on Saturday, strong to near gale force winds will start on Friday and powerful surf conditions expected on Saturday and Sunday.

Rainfall Forecast for
 Friday 12 December 2014

Just over a week to go until Easter 2013

What will the weather bring for the 2013 Easter long weekend and school holidays on the Gold Coast? We have a look at the updated long-term forecast information with just over a week to go until Good Friday, and count the cost of the damage caused by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald.

Update 26/03/13: Now with just days to go, will it be a wet Easter and are the GC beaches ready to go?

What weather will Easter 2013 bring us? (as at 11 March 2013)

As the Gold Coast prepares for the first round of school holidays for 2013, many residents and visitors are wondering "what will the weather be like for the Easter long weekend in 2013?".

Update 26/03/13: Now with just days to go, will it be a wet Easter and are the GC beaches ready to go?

Update 20/3/13: Here's our look with just over a week to go and counting the cost of cleaning up after ex-TC Oswald.

SEQ braces for impact after wild Australia Day weather in Central QLD

100-125 km/h wind gusts and up to 300mm of rain are expected to impact areas of the Southeast Coast forecast district after a wild day of heavy falls and even tornadoes in the Wide Bay & Burnett region.

Australia Day Weekend Weather Update

200-400mm of rain is still expected over the next four days for the Gold Coast and the Southeast Coast thanks to ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald.

The tide is high and we're holding on!

Abnormally high tides and powerful surf are forecasted to affect exposed coastal areas between Sandy Cape and Point Danger in the next few days due to a deepening trough remaining offshore over the southern Coral Sea.

Tides for Friday 14 December and Saturday 15 December 2012

Gold Coast beaches damaged & dirty

Wild weather and flooding has badly damaged half the patrolled beaches on the Gold Coast, as per ABC News report

Lifesavers say the shoreline is covered with trees, leaves and rubbish flushed out of locals creeks.

Senior Life Guard Will Ashley says people should avoid the are unless they want to help clean-up.

"It is not looking too good for the beach this weekend and into next week," he said.

"There's a lot of debris up and down the coast most of the beaches are covered in sticks logs and branches and a lot of it is in the surf zone so it is quite dangerous for people to go swimming at the beach.

"About half the lifeguard beaches are closed, some of them will probably still be closed next week and also the water is not clear, it is quite dirty and brown." (Source: ABC News)

Additionally, the Gold Coast City Council advises that following the recent rainfall in the city, it is likely the quality of water at some popular swimming and recreation areas near stormwater outlets have been affected by pollution from stormwater runoff.

Council’s Community and Cultural Development Chair, Councillor Bob La Castra, said Council conducted regular microbial sampling of water at recreational locations throughout the city.

“We have had very heavy continuous rain this week and an enormous volume of water has been flushed through the stormwater systems and into our local waterways,” said Cr La Castra.

“Water sampling has revealed that popular swimming locations, such as swimming enclosures, rivers, creeks and water bodies – particularly those near stormwater outlets – are sometimes affected by pollutants after heavy rains that have the potential to harm human health.

“Changes to water quality can result from a number of sources including stormwater runoff, farming activities, domestic animals, human effluent and wildlife. Swimming in and/or swallowing water contaminated with high levels of pollution can spark illness such as gastroenteritis, skin irritations or ear and eye infections.

“It is recommended swimming and other recreational activities be avoided following heavy rains. We also encourage people to take note of signs posted at water recreation sites.” (Source: Gold Coast City Council)

Beaches on the Gold Coast were looking worse for wear after debris and foamy waves were washed up after all the rain. North Burleigh.

Photographer: Kit de Guymer (Source: Gold Coast Bulletin)

Gold Coast beaches reopened

After yesterday's wild weather and big seas, beaches on the Gold Coast reopened this morning after being closed yesterday (see video below):

Gold Coast City Council reports that 'no remedial work has been required at any of our beaches' and 'right now the surf is pumping for board riders on the point breaks.' (Source: GCCC Media Releases).

Not only was the weather brewing, reports of 'surf rage' at Snapper Rocks and Duranbah Beach prompted early-morning patrols by Gold Coast Police.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reports that 'local surfers have reported increasing frustration as more and more surfers compete for waves, often dropping in or running straight over the top of each other.'

'Swearing and heated exchanges have escalated to physical fights spilling out of the surf and on to the sand, including one caught on camera at Duranbah in last month.' (Source: Gold Coast Bulletin)

What do you think? Is 'surf rage' really a problem that is taking our police resources away from the streets to deal with petty arguments? Leave a comment below, share a post on our Twitter page @weathergc, or on our Facebook page.

Severe weather fizzler - what happened to the rain and wind?

The low pressure system that was predicited to cause heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts today has stayed off the coast, and is expected to remain offshore.

The updated Severe Weather Warning issued at 5:05pm today downgraded the warning to just dangerous surf conditions about exposed parts of the coast. Damaging wind gusts are no longer expected about coastal land areas but a coastal waters wind warning is current.

Heavy rain areas associated with the low are also expected to remain offshore. However, light to moderate rain areas will continue about the coast and adjacent inland areas.

The computer generated rainfall forecasts for the next four days has also dropped of quite considerably, with only 25-50mm expected tomorrow, down to between 5-10mm on Thursday and then 1-5mm on Friday and Saturday (see below).

Rainfall Forecast Maps for January 18th to 22nd (Source: BOM)

This is in stark contrast to earlier predictions of 100-200mm for today and tomorrow (at least for the Gold Coast), however some areas still received moderate falls. At 5pm AEST the highest rainfall totals since 9am Tuesday were Bli Bli 54mm, Maroochydore 45mm and Mt Tamborine 33mm.

But the near-event wasn't without some fanfare- Brisbane endured its lowest January maximum temperature in over 30 years. At 1:14pm EST the mercury struggled to reach a maximum of 23.4°C, a chilly 7°C below the average and making it the lowest January maximum for 38 years. (Source: The Weather Channel)

All Gold Coast beaches closed from 1pm today

All Gold Coast beaches will be closed today from 1pm today due to a severe weather warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for this afternoon.

Chair of Council’s Engineering Services Committee, Councillor Dawn Crichlow said current beach conditions were pretty miserable.

“Council lifeguards have already closed the beach in front of Margaret Avenue at Broadbeach and due to the reported increase in the swell later this afternoon, the remaining beaches will also be closed from 1pm today,” said Cr Crichlow.

“My advice for anyone considering going down to the beach today is to put the kettle on and pick up a good book instead.

“We will also be monitoring the conditions of the foreshore while the offshore low continues to generate unstable surf conditions.

“The city’s roads are holding up well despite up to 100mm of rain being dumped overnight in parts of the Hinterland, however, we are advising residents to exercise caution and drive to the conditions.

‘At this stage, we have one road closure, at the Hardys Road causeway at Bonogin and there is plenty of water on our other roads elsewhere around the city but we are holding up well, “said Cr Crichlow.

“This wet weather again reinforces the importance for motorists not to attempt to drive through flooded roads and for kids to stay out of the city’s drainage system – it’s that simple.

“Council is monitoring road conditions and we are advising people to check with the Traffic Management Centre for updates. The number to call is 131 940 or visit the website at http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/. (Source: Gold Coast City Council)

Damaging Winds, Flash Flooding and Dangerous Surf

11:15pm Update: A Severe Weather Warning has been issued for Damaging Winds, Flash Flooding and Dangerous Surf for people on the coast and islands of the Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast districts for Tuesday.

Synoptic Situation: At 10 pm Monday AEST, a surface low was located off the Capricornia coast. This surface low is expected to move southwards just off the Wide Bay and southeast Queensland coasts during Tuesday.

Damaging Winds and heavy rainfalls are expected to develop along the Wide Bay coast during Tuesday morning and is expected to extend southwards into coastal areas and the adjacent higher ground of the Southeast Coast district during the afternoon. 24 hour rainfall totals in excess of 150 mm are possible. This rainfall may be intense at times, leading to localised flash flooding. As well, dangerous surf conditions may occur with breaking waves in excess of 4 metres.

Locations that may be affected include Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Gympie, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

A Flood Warning has been issued for coastal rivers and streams from Noosa to Caboolture and adjacent inland catchments.

These conditions will no longer affect people in the Capricornia district. (Source: BOM)

Tide times tweeted twice a day? Terrific!

Gold Coast Seaway tide times will be auto-Tweeted twice a day at 5:30am and again at 5:30pm, with the data sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology's South East Coast Boating Forecast.

We'd love to know what times of the day you'd prefer to receive them? Are there any other locations you'd like to see? Let us know!

Strong wind warning for Monday's Anzac holiday

Strong 25/30 knot winds with 3m seas from Point Danger to Sandy Cape (excluding Hervey Bay & Moreton Bay) are expected to affect mainly offshore waters from early Monday 26th April 2010, with a Coastal Wind Warning issued at 10:45am on Sunday morning.

Lifesaving competitor dies at Kurrawa, rough conditions blamed

Rough surf conditions at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on Kurrawa beach have claimed the life of 19-year-old NSW competitor Saxon Bird (Source: Surf Live Saving Qld). According to news reports, it's believed the surfer was knocked unconscious by his own surf ski, which washed up on the beach at approx 11:30am.

This prompted an air and sea search of the area, to which Bird was found less than an hour later by a fellow life saver. Paramedics performed CPR on the young surfer until he arrived at Gold Coast Hospital in a critical condition, but later passed away. (Source: Seven News)

The competition has been suspended, with police investigating as to why the competition went ahead despite the dangerous surf conditions. Officials from the competition had deemed the conditions safe to proceed today, despite a Severe Weather Warning being issued last night expecting dangerous surf conditions to develop today.

Meanwhile, preparations are continuing along the central Queensland Coast with the small sugar town of Proserpine expected to be in the direct path of Tropical Cyclone Ului. The cyclone was downgraded to a Category 2, with the visual satellite images showing the system losing it's eye and appearing to be dissipating. An animation of the Satellite Images over the last 3 days shows the system moving south.

At this stage, no further official warnings from the Bureau have been issued regarding any potential 'storm surge' or other adverse conditions to affect the Gold Coast over the weekend.

Storm surge fears & dangerous surf for Gold Coast

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului is expected to move southwest towards the central Queensland coast on Friday and over the weekend, resulting in a cyclone advice being issued for areas between Cardwell and Yeppoon by the Bureau.

Guests and staff have already been evacuated from resort islands Heron and Lady Elliot with Coral Point Lodge, Shute Harbour, expected to vacate.

As at 4pm, Category 3 'Ului' was located over the Coral Sea about 1100km northeast of Mackay, while a large high was located over the Tasman Sea and will remain near stationary.

The windy conditions over much of the Queensland east coastal waters will continue due to the tight pressure gradient generated by a combination of a high pressure system situated in the Tasman Sea and Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului. Seas and swell are expected to increase along much of the Queensland east coast and produce dangerous surf conditions on the exposed coasts.

So whilst the cyclone may not be directly headed for us, it's effects will still be felt here on the coast, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a Severe Weather Warning at 5pm that includes the South East Coast district for dangerous surf conditions. The warning indicates some beach erosion is expected to develop about exposed beaches during Friday, particularly about the Sunshine and Fraser coasts. With this in mind, it might be best to avoid the beaches tomorrow and over the weekend.

The Gold Coast Bulletin today warned readers of a potential storm surge and threat of 8m waves to affect the Gold Coast as a result of the region being lashed by the tail end of Cyclone Ului. Quotes within the article from the Weather Channel's meteorologist Dick Whitaker include:

"For the Gold Coast the biggest effect is ocean swell, with booming seas, coastal erosion issues and very large waves which could be ... seven to eight metres"

"The storm surge is more like a tide, so with waves on top of that, the freak tidal effect pushes water further inland than normal."

"The Gold Coast will probably see at least a slight storm surge." (Source: Gold Coast Bulletin)

However, as the path and effects of the cyclone remain uncertain, the current marine/boating forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology for our region indicates:

Friday: Winds SE 20/25 knots ... Waves breaking dangerously close inshore, particularly about Bars. Seas 2 to 3 metres. Swell: E/NE 2.5 to 3.5 metres ...

Saturday: Winds E/SE 20/30 knots ... dependent on the movement of Tropical Cyclone. Large E/NE swells, breaking dangerously inshore.

Sunday: Winds SE/NE 20/30 knots, easing to 15/20 knots late in the day (Source: BOM)

Regardless of what happens, Gold Coast City Council's disaster management committee and local SES volunteers are on standby (Source: Gold Coast Bulletin). Full information on how to be prepared for a disaster event on the Gold Coast can be found on Council's website.

Tropical cyclone path remains 'Ului'-sive, but wild weather to return

The expected path of Tropical Cyclone Ului remains elusive with differing models and forecasts on whether the Category 5 storm will reach the Queensland Coast.

The official forecast track map (first image, left) and bulletin's from the Bureau earlier in the week indicated the cyclone would likely not reach the Queensland coast and remain out to sea.

However, forecast models (second image, left) by the United States Navy Joint Tsunami Warning Center has 'Ului' heading westwards towards the coast on Friday, however it would weaken before making landfall between Rockhampton and Mackay on Sunday morning. By the time it reaches the coast, winds are likely to have dropped to about 60 knots (111 km/h)

A Courier Mail news story today highlights the US Navy model, whereby forecaster Geoff Doueal said it was common for models to disagree. "There's not much (weather conditions) steering this at the moment, so it's a wait and see," he said (Source: Courier Mail)

Regardless of the models, the effect of the cyclone is expected to be felt during the next week, with wild weather conditions expected to lash the coasts. As a precaution, the State Government has ordered shark nets and hook lines to be removed from Gold Coast beaches.

As a result, beach goers are warned to only swim at patrolled beaches, not only because the shark nets are no longer in place, but that dangerous surf conditions with seas of up to 7 metres are expected on Friday (Source: ABC News)

At time of posting there are no direct weather warnings for the Gold Coast region, however there is currently a Coastal Wind Warning that extends down to Double Island Point, which will likely be expanded to include Point Danger as the week progresses.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment of what you think will happen.