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.

Un-easy calm as weakening Marcia heads for Gold Coast

Although rain has eased across the Gold Coast this evening, conditions are expected to deteriorate again during Saturday as a weakening Marcia moves into southeast Queensland.

Cyclone Marcia Track map and Forecast Wind
as at 7pm, Friday 20 February 2015

The hatches are battened, Marcia gets stronger

MTSAT Colourized Infrared

Satellite Image

8:33pm Thu 19 Feb 2015

The Gold Coast spent today waiting in long queues for sandbags and battening down for 2015's most severe weather event, whilst Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia is expected to make landfall on the central Queensland coast as a very destructive Category 5 cyclone.

Cyclone Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! is born

7:00pm 19/02 UPDATE: Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia now a Category 4 storm and expected to make landfall as a very destructive Category 5 cyclone. See the Cyclone Warning for more info.

Severe weather warning issued, local disaster group on alert

MTSAT Colourized Infrared
Satellite Image
8:33pm Tue 17 Feb 2015

The Gold Coast is now facing a quadruple threat on Thursday and Friday from damaging winds, heavy rainfall, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf as the low pressure system in the Coral Sea deepens and moves closer to Queensland.

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

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.

Another wet Australia Day for 2013

Up to 125-200mm of rain could dampen South-East Queensland's 2013 Australia Day weekend according to current long-term rainfall forecasts issued by the Bureau of Meteorology on Wednesday 23 January 2013.

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)

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)

Severe Weather: Up to 400mm over 4 days

Latest rainfall forecasts could see up to 300-400mm falling on the Gold Coast over the next four days, with heavier falls developing from Sunday, sticking around Monday and easing on Tuesday.

The Bureau's Rainfall Forecast Maps for Sunday has downgraded falls to between 100-150mm for the majority of the coast, within only the exposed mid-coast forecast to receive the 150-200mm.

However, the majority of the rain will now fall on Monday saturating the entire south-east corner, with areas north of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast possibly in for 200-300mm. Our region could get anywhere from 100-200mm on Monday.

The latest Severe Weather Warning for heavy falls causing localised flash flooding has been extended to include eastern parts of the eastern Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts along with Southeast Coast & Wide Bay districts.

At 10am EST, an upper level low was located offshore of the Capricorn coast. A surface trough was located offshore of the southern Queensland coast. Both of these systems are expected to move closer to the coast today.

Rain areas and thunderstorms are expected to increase further through the Southeast Coast district and southern parts of the Wide Bay and Burnett district today. The heavy rain areas are expected to move into the eastern parts of the Darling Downs and Granite Belt District overnight. Some heavy falls are likely which may lead to localised flash flooding and/or worsen existing river flooding.

This is also on top of a Coastal Wind Warning for strong winds between Point Danger and Noosa including Moreton Bay :

A trough lies offshore of southern Queensland waters and will move closer to the coast during the day. A high lies near New Zealand while another high is moving east over the Great Australian Bight.

SE/NE winds 25/30 knots at times. Seas rising to 2.5 to 3 metres in open waters with a 2 to 3 metre E/SE swell. Winds are expected to ease below 26 knots north of Point Lookout during Monday morning.

As at 11am this morning, the Gold Coast remains one of the few areas within the south-east corner that has escaped any minor-major flooding (other than localised flash flooding). However, whether that remains true over the next 2 days will certainly be tested.

Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke sent a message just prior to Christmas " If it's flooded, forget it!"

“Gold Coast is one of Queensland’s hot spots for motorists rescued from flash floods,” according to Cr Clarke.

“Driving through flooded roads, especially on causeways, can be fatal,” he said.
Hidden dangers include:

• being washed from a causeway – it takes just 30 centimetres of slow flowing water to wash away any type of car, even a four wheel drive

• pot holes and submerged debris which can snag your car in rising water

• stalling in rising water

• collapsed causeways and roads washed away without warning.

If you get stuck or see someone else in difficulty in a flash flood, phone the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service on 000 immediately.

Windy, wet and wierd

What was expected to be a fine Saturday night / Sunday morning with showers 'cheifly inland', appears to have changed it's mind.

After some relatively windy conditions and showers, the weather radar at around 2am shows a distinct clockwise 'swirling' motion, with a rain band on the southern side/approach.

This image is not to dissimilar to previous 'east coast lows' and other low pressure systems that bring a bit of rain (sometimes moderate to heavy falls).

Now call me eager, but I think there's going to be than just 'fine' conditions coming up on Sunday morning.

Otherwise, as most people are sleeping or never actually read these posts, it probably doesn't matter anyway! Leave a comment to prove me wrong - are you reading this at 2am?

Batten down the hatches

Damaging 90km/h wind gusts and flash flooding is possible for people in the Southeast Coast district after the Bureau updated it's Severe Weather Warning at 11:05 am on Sunday 10 October 2010:

The combination of an intensifying high over the Tasman Sea and a deep trough off the southern Queensland coast is expected to produce wind gusts in excess of 90 km/hr, mainly along the exposed coast and over the islands.

As the trough moves closer to the coast expect increasing rain during the day with locally heavy falls developing from the south, particularly late in the day or overnight, with the possibility of flash flooding.

The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:
· seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees
· secure loose outdoor items
· beware of fallen trees and powerlines
· avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters
(Source: BOM)

Additionally, Emergency Management Queensland issued a Severe Weather Advice today:

Emergency Management Queensland is urging all residents along the southern Queensland coast to prepare for heavy rain and strong wind gusts later today and tonight.

The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that strong wind gusts will occur in coastal areas with increasing rain throughout the day and heavy falls developing in the afternoon or tonight, with the possibility of flash flooding.

State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers are on standby but residents are being reminded to prepare their homes to best avoid damage to property.

People are being urged to listen to local radio, secure loose items, clear their gutters and to seek shelter indoors and not under trees.

A flood warning remains current for Sunshine Coast streams and Hinterland areas and people in those areas are reminded to avoid walking, driving or riding through flood waters.

Overnight the SES reported a quiet night with the latest information indicating that in the 24 hours to 5am today, volunteers in the Brisbane region attended 23 jobs, in the North Coast Region they completed 10 jobs and in the South East Region there were seven jobs.

Almost all of these jobs occurred yesterday and were of a minor nature.

For storm and flood assistance contact the State Emergency Service on 132 500 and in a life-threatening emergency call triple zero (000).

Unsettled conditions from Thursday

Widespread showers and thunderstorms tending to rain at times during morning is expected on Thursday, with some moderate falls of up to 25mm predicted for the Gold Coast.

This weather comes after the south-coast of New South Wales continues the clean up after wild weather struck the region over the weekend, with eastern and mid-north NSW regions preparing for more wet weather and possible gale force winds between 40-70km/h. (Source: Weatherzone)

Gold Coast gets drenched

Coast residents were woken around 4am this morning by heavy rain and gusty winds, with more than 150mm of rain has fallen over the coast since last night.

The Tallebudgera Valley received the most with over 170mm falling between midnight to 9am (recorded at Coplicks Bridge). Other 24 hour figures to 9am today also include 137mm at Southport, 127mm at Miami and 128mm at Biggera Ck Dam.

Since midnight, 137.5mm of rain has fallen at the Gold Coast seaway with the heaviest falls between 3:30am and 5:30am this morning, along with gusty winds of up to 46km/h wind gust at 4am. (Source: BOM)

There was minor flooding in the Mudgeeraba Creek recorded at 10:28am by the flood monitoring station, with water levels topping 3 metres at 12:24pm (see right).

The deluge caused flooding of most low-lying roads, including Somerset Drive, Hardy's Road and Highfield Drive went under around 40cm of water. (Source: Nine Gold Coast News).

Most of the rain and heaviest falls have now passed, with showers predicted for the remainder of tonight and tomorrow, before a possible afternoon storm.

Do you have any photos or stories? Let us know via Twitter @weathergc or email us weathergc (at) gmail.com.

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.

TC Ului packs a punch with 200km/h winds

Tropical Cyclone Ului has already made 'islandfall' and affecting the Whitsunday Islands, with Hamilton Island recording a 202km/h wind gust at 12:30am. The eye of the cyclone is almost over the island as at 1:04am with wind gusts starting to drop.

The Mackay weather radar image at 1:10am clearly (left) shows the circular eye just passing over the islands and just beginning to make landfall near Proserpine.

Ergon Energy along with local residents & visitors (via Twitter) are reporting power outages across the region including Mackay, Sarina, the Whitsundays and Gladstone

The latest Tropical Cyclone Advice from the BOM "At 1:00 am EST the cyclone is estimated to be 69 kilometres east of Bowen and 125 kilometres north northwest of Mackay.

The cyclone is currently crossing the Whitsunday Islands as a severe tropical cyclone and is expected to move west and make landfall Bowen and Proserpine in the next hour. The cyclone is then expected to weaken as it moves inland later today."


Meanwhile here on the Gold Coast, it's a relatively calm night compared to up north, with the Gold Coast Seaway recording winds at 30km/h gusting up to 35km/h at 1:00am.

It will be a sleepless night for our friends in Central Queensland, stay safe and remember to not venture outside if you find yourself in the eye of the cyclone as winds may remain light for up to an hour - very destructive winds from a different direction could resume at any time.

TC Ului re-intensifies to Category 3, expected to cross early Sun morn

Central Queensland communities between Cardwell and Yeppoon are bracing for Tropical Cyclone Ului's arrival early Sunday morning between midnight to 2am around Proserpine, Arlie Beach and Shute Harbour.

A very committed Twitterer '@qldwhitsundays' are keeping their followers up to date with regular Tweets and live webcams via http://www.whitsundaysonline.net/webcams. They are also prepared with backup wireless internet connections, generator, food and water - our best and safest wishes to them and everyone in the path of the cyclone.

We've updated the Ului Satellite Imagery animation up to 7:30pm, and can be viewed below:

The latest Tropical Cyclone Advice from the Bureau of Meteorology has the following advice:

At 7:00 pm EST Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului, Category 3 was estimated to be 190 kilometres northeast of Mackay and 405 kilometres east southeast of Townsville and moving west southwest at 31 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone is expected to cross the coast between Ayr and Mackay, most likely in the Proserpine region as a severe tropical cyclone early Sunday. The cyclone is then expected to weaken inland later on Sunday.

VERY DESTRUCTIVE wind gusts to 200 km/hr near the cyclone centre may affect coastal and island communities in the threatened area late tonight and early Sunday.

Meanwhile here on the Gold Coast, dangerous surf conditions that claimed the life of a young lifesaver yesterday, are expected to ease with the latest Severe Weather Warning no longer including areas south of Cape Moreton.