‘Mixed bag’: FNQ to expect showers and sunshine

The sun may be shining, but residents are urged to keep umbrella’s close at hand due to a ‘mixed’ bag of weather, following the lowest tides of the year this week.

The sun may be shining, but residents are urged to keep umbrella’s close at hand due to a ‘mixed’ bag of weather this week.

Senior Bureau meteorologist Shane Kennedy said the Far North Queensland coast could expect coastal showers for the rest of this week and into the weekend.

“It should be a bit of a mixed bag this week,” Mr Kennedy said.

“We’re not expecting it to be as wet and cloudy as it was on Tuesday, but there will still be coastal showers for a few days until early next week.”

Rain totals were expected to remain in the low double digits for Cairns, with Innisfail and Tully expecting at least 30mm.

The lowest tide of the year has seen the sandbank off Buchan Point fully exposed out of the water, allowing people to walk halfway to Double Island, about 1 kilometre out from the beach. People brought umbrellas to the beach to brave the wet weather and experience the strange natural phenomenon, which only happens a few times a year. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We’re mainly looking at 5mm to 15mm around most places, but it will be wetter around Innisfail and Tully in the 30mm to 60mm range,” he said.

“But we’re not expecting much more over the next few days,” he said.

Mr Kennedy said the showers were due to a stable pattern in the weather system.

“It’s happening because there’s a wave of moisture coming across but it’s mainly due to a stable pattern in the weather system, a ridge of high pressure over Far North Queensland which is likely to persist over the next several days,” he said.

It comes after the Far North enjoyed two days of the lowest tide of the year, where beachgoers were able to walk on the sandbank between Buchans Point, north of Cairns and Double Island.

Alexander John, 10, Josu John, and Emma Josu, 3, enjoying walking along the sand in the middle of the ocean, which only happens a few times a year. Picture: Brendan Radke

The natural phenomenon occurred on Monday and Tuesday due to low tides in the area reaching 0.2m.

Locals and tourists alike flocked to Buchan Point to walk along the sandbank halfway between the mainland and Double Island.

Braving the wet and windy weather on Tuesday, Redlynch Valley man Josu John and his children Alexander and Emma enjoyed the beach outing.

The lowest tide of the year has seen the sandbank off Buchan Point fully exposed out of the water, allowing people to walk halfway to Double Island, about 1 kilometre out from the beach. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I heard about it on Facebook and last year, I heard about my friend who came to see this,” Mr John said.

“So we came out, (Alexander) came out of school early to see this.”

The family walked to the tip of the sand bank, around halfway between the mainland and Double Island.

Frankie Hall and her daughter Ellie Hall, holidaying from the UK, beat the rising tide as the skip along the sandbar. Picture: Brendan Radke

Tourists from the United Kingdom, Frankie Hall and daughter Ellie Hall, enjoyed the beachside visit despite the wet weather.

“We came up from Brisbane while visiting my brother and decided to come up here,” Ms Hall said.

Originally published as ‘Mixed bag’: FNQ to expect showers and sunshine