Swimmers advised to stay out of water over Easter weekend with hazardous surf predicted

This afternoon’s rain is just the start of a week-long grey forecast. Southeast Queensland is expecting showers until Thursday and swimmers have been advised to stay out of the water.

THIS afternoon’s rain is just the start of a week-long grey forecast, with southeast Queensland expecting showers until Thursday.

Patchy rain started falling early this afternoon across much of the southeast and we can expect much of the same until next Friday.

Swimmers have also been advised to stay out of the water across the Easter long weekend, with dangerous weather conditions including damaging winds and high tides expected.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicted hazardous surf conditions around Fraser Island as well as the Sunshine and Gold coasts.

What’s open in Brisbane this Easter long weekend?

Anticipated high tides along Teewah and Rainbow beaches has prompted authorities to warn drivers of potential rising waters.

Coco Ward, 5 from Rainbow Bay enjoys a day at the beach at Snapper Rocks in 2018. Picture: File photo/Nigel Hallett

Queensland Parks and Wildlife service had yesterday said there were two very high tides expected on Good Friday — at 7:45am and 8:15pm for the two beaches.

Senior Ranger Colin Lawton said that the beaches may be impassable for about two hours.

“Easter high tides will also cause difficult beach driving conditions along sections of the Great Sandy National Park, including beaches at Cooloola and K’gari,” he said yesterday.

“Due to recent beach erosion, Mudlo Rocks at the Rainbow Beach entrance is impassable at all times, and is likely to remain impassable over Easter.”

Rainbow Beach. High tides are anticipated at Rainbow and Teewah beaches on Good Friday. Picture: File photo/supplied

Storms had been forecast over the weekend for the Sunshine Coast, where temperatures were expected to reach a maximum of 25 degrees today and Saturday, increasing to 26 degrees Sunday.

Surf Life Saving Queensland officials advised swimmers and rock fishers to avoid interactions with the surf on the Sunshine and Gold coasts this weekend.

An 80 to 90 per cent chance of storms had been predicted for the Gold Coast on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Sunday with temperatures expected to reach 26 degrees.

Despite the anticipated rain, Surf Life Saving Queensland’s Nathan Fife yesterday said they were expecting it to be a busy weekend around the Gold Coast’s waterways.

“It’s going to be great for surf and those point breaks are definitely going to be going off,” he said.

“(Friday) afternoon we’re expecting a metre to two-metre swell from the southeast, we have very tricky conditions on our open beaches so please, if you are heading to the beach, swim between those red and yellow flags.”

Patrolled beaches are scheduled to be open across the city from 8am to 5pm each day during Easter.

Dusk patrols will take place at Surfers Paradise, while the Surf Life Saving rescue helicopter and jetskis will also be out and about.

Mr Fife urged water users to read the conditions and follow instructions when they hit the beach.

“If the surf if up it’s only for the experienced surfers, and we’ll have a lot of tourists this weekend on the Gold Coast so our lifesavers will be doing extra patrols,” he said.
Storms had also been forecast as a possibility for Brisbane from Friday through to Tuesday, with a 90 per cent chance of thunderstorms, while temperatures are expected to reach 26 degrees.

A maximum of 27 degrees is anticipated for Easter Sunday.