Cyclone Iris: wind gusts up to 80km/h forecast for Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
CYCLONE Iris has reformed and there’s a high pressure system in the Tasman Sea that could cause havoc for the Commonwealth Games. Here’s what Iris reforming means for the Gold Coast.
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DELTA Goodrem is expected to blow away ticketholders to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on Wednesday — that is if Tropical Cyclone Iris doesn’t do it first.
The cyclone reformed today about 300km east of Cairns and while North Queensland is expecting a deluge and winds of up to 100km/h, the Gold Coast can expect some wild weather too.
WeatherZone Senior Meteorologist Jacob Cronje said the system associated with Cyclone Iris could combine with a high pressure system in the Tasman Sea to bring wind gusts of up to 80km/h on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
“We are not expecting the cyclone to directly impact the Gold Coast but with the high pressure system in the Tasman and this in the north, we expect onshore winds to produce showers and the occasional strong gusts,” he said.
“They’re not sustained winds at this stage but the south easterlies are expected to remain strong throughout Wednesday and lessening on Thursday.”
The cyclone is expected to keep tracking east across Far North Queensland instead of down toward the Gold Coast, meaning the Games will be saved from a cyclonic deluge.
A maximum of 4mm of rain is expected to fall on the Gold Coast each day this week.
However, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Adam Blazak said the volatile system could change track quickly and it would be monitored closely.
Temperatures are expected to hover around 27-28C this week with overnight lows of 21C.
Early Warning Network managing director Kerry Plowright said Thursday would be partly cloudy with isolated showers from the south east particularly during the afternoon and evening.
“Light-to-moderate very localised rainfall is expected with isolated showers during Thursday,” he said.
“Scattered tending isolated showers may produce between 1mm-5mm of rainfall over the 24-hour period.”
Mr Plowright forecast the same conditions on Friday as he did for Thursday.
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