While the Melbourne Storm will be looking to make an impact on North Queensland during Sunday’s NRL grand final, patchy rain and isolated thunderstorms forecast for the same period look likely to disappoint.
With much of Queensland now desperate for an early spring break, landholders have been eagerly watching the forecasts for storms on Sunday and Monday develop.
However, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Annabelle Ford, said no big rainfall totals were expected.
Ms Ford said Monday would bring the best chance of rain, for areas east of a line from Emerald to Roma.
“Over the next couple of days (Friday and Saturday) there is a cloud ban in the south west of the state where there is a chance of patchy ran but there isn’t a lot of in that,” she said.
“There is a better chance of rain and possible thunderstorms in the south of the state on Sunday. The area with the best chance then is south of Boulia and across to Blackall and down to Roma and Charleville.
“It’s not going to be huge amounts – probably 2 to 5mm.
“On Monday that moves a little further east where there is more moisture so there might be a chance of higher rainfall. That’s for the south east and around Roma and up to Moranbah and Emerald.
“Most places will get light rain and some might get slightly heavier but it’s patchy rain, not a major rainfall event.”
The Outlook
Meanwhile, the BOM has released it’s climate outlook overview for October to December.
Issued on September 28, the overview shows an equal chance of wetter or drier conditions for most of Australia.
October is likely to be wetter than average for large parts of eastern and central mainland Australia, but drier for western WA.
October to December daytime and night-time temperatures are likely to be warmer than average for most of tropical northern Australia and parts of southeast Australia.
Nights are likely to be cooler around the Great Australian Bight. Elsewhere, chances of warmer or cooler nights are roughly equal.
Climate influences from the Indian and Pacific oceans are likely to be competing, with a slightly drying influence in the Indian Ocean likely to be cancelling out a slightly wetter influence from the Pacific Ocean.
