Gold Coast Weather: Heavy rain, rough surf as severe weather warning issued for southeast Queensland

Damaging winds, heavy rains and dangerous surf has been predicted for the Gold Coast after a severe weather warning was issued for the weekend. SEE THE LATEST FORECAST

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A SEVERE weather warning has been issued for the Gold Coast and much of southeast Queensland. 

The Bureau of Meteorology issued the alert on Saturday afternoon, ahead of rough weather predicted to roll in on Saturday night and Sunday.

Damaging surf, abnormally high tides, damaging winds and heavy rainfall have also been predicted for Sunday.

They have also issued a flood warning for  much of the region.

National parks may also be closed, with the Department of Environment and Science urging people to reconsider visiting over the weekend. 

"This weather can cause dangerous conditions such as flash flooding and tree falls," a release from the department stated. 

"Walking, hiking or mountain or trail bike riding could be extremely dangerous and cause significant injury or death. 

"There are significant risks to visitors from creeks running high and fast with the swift onset of flash flooding or from a tree fall."

EARLIER: 

SHARK nets have been removed from multiple Gold Coast beaches ahead of heavy rain and storms predicted to roll in over the weekend.

Nets from Main Beach, Kurrawa and Tallebudgera were removed on Friday while Kirra, Coolangatta, Miami and Currumbin beach nets will be removed on Saturday.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicted more than 200mm of rain would fall on the city between Saturday and Monday, with the lion’s share occurring on Sunday.

A BOM meteorologist told the Bulletin the weather would come with “significant” surf conditions.

“There will be some large swells, some dangerous surf, (including) some beach erosion,” she said.

“There will be less rainfall as we go into Tuesday and later in the week.”

A severe weather warning is likely to be issued by BOM on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.

GOLD COAST Queensland

Fisheries Queensland Shark Control Program coordinator Sam Fary said shark protection equipment had been removed ahead of the rough weather.

“A low pressure system will affect southeast Queensland over the weekend and into early next week, with winds of more than 35 knots and swells up to 4.5 metres expected,” he said.

“It’s important that our SCP contractors act early to prevent equipment becoming dislodged and posing a risk to swimmers and boats.

“The nets will be redeployed to the water as soon as it is safe to do so.” 

BOM Meteorologist Pieter Claassen said the worst of the conditions could prove “quite a big event” with isolated totals of up to 200mm of rain across southeast Queensland.

“We could be seeing triple digit falls in the Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast region, starting from Sunday afternoon,” he said.

“And we are expecting the worst to last right through to Monday morning or Monday afternoon.

“We may also get significant storm tides with the event as well.

“Max wave heights in excess of eight metres are possible, but very large, greater than four metres.

“We think severe weather warnings are likely to be issued for the southeast of Queensland over the weekend.”

The chance of some #severe weather developing through parts of SE #Qld late this weekend. Currently watching a possible low pressure system. If it forms, it may bring heavy #rain & even some areas of #flooding from Sunday or Monday. Keep watch https://t.co/5cAtwqREhQ@QldFES pic.twitter.com/gd557aSDR3

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) December 10, 2020

Beaches along southeast Queensland and northern NSW will bear the brunt of very large swells and gale-force winds, culminating in significant beach erosion, with the highest tide of the year expected to hit next Tuesday in line with the new moon.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Livio Regano said while sea levels were getting higher all the time, modelling suggested a new level could be reached this weekend.

“You don’t notice the difference until you see the extreme,” he told NCA NewsWire.

“When you get extremes, it can top that highest possible point … It’s more likely to break records on a higher baseline.”

The Sunshine and Gold Coasts will be the hardest hit over the weekend, with southeasterly winds of more than 70km/h expected on southern waterways.

“That will produce five-metre seas with a four-metre swell,” Mr Regano said.

“If you couple that with the highest king tide of the year, you’re asking for trouble.”

Sky News Weather senior meteorologist Tom Saunders said we could even see a “major flood and rain event” for the east and northwest of the country.

“Australia just went through its hottest November on record but that’s all over now; the heatwave is finally done,” Mr Saunders said on Wednesday.

“Replacing it we have a monsoon trough off the northwest coast.”

The colder air from the interior has been edging its way eastwards over the week, meeting up with moist La Nina fuelled air in the Coral and Tasman seas. An area of high pressure sitting in the Tasman will then merge all this moisture together and send it right back to eastern Australia.

“We're looking at a major rain and flood event on the east coast from about Friday onwards,” Mr Saunders said.