Townsville told to batten down the hatches ahead of strong winds

It’s been a wet Christmas, but the wild weather is not over yet with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a warning for fisherman and boaties. Read the forecast here.

Sisters Isla Johnson, 20, and Poppy Johnson, 3, from North Ward pictured down at Strand Park. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The rain that buffeted Townsville across the lead-up to Christmas is set to give way, but experts are warning residents to be ready for strong winds along the coasts as things begin to heat back up.

Townsville and the region copped 25.2mm in the 24 hours leading up to 9am on Christmas morning, but rain is unlikely to feature in the week ahead according to the most recent forecasts.

The last of the rain came through Monday, while sections of the Flinders Highway near Hughenden have been washed out by flooding after a wet Christmas.

Townsville, as well as coastal areas of Mackay, Capricornia and Fraser Island have been warned to be wary of strong winds today after an earlier warning for Monday was cancelled.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s community information officer Danny Teece-Johnson said the winds were the result of a large south-easterly front pushing through.

Sisters Isla Johnson, 20, and Poppy Johnson, 3, from North Ward pictured down at Strand Park. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“It’s out in the Tasman Sea at the moment and it’s pushing up a south-easterly airstream and that’s why we’ll be seeing the strong winds,” Mr Teece-Johnson said.

He expected the wind would become most pronounced on Tuesday.

Along with the winds, comes a warning for anyone considering going out on the water over the next few days.

“Particularly in those Townsville waters and around that area the conditions can change very quickly. It can all swirl around a bit out there with the way the coast is shaped,” Mr Teece-Johnson said.

“It’s definitely in the public’s interest to check the latest warnings and information on the Bureau’s website and that goes for boaties and fishers as well.”

Mr Teece-Johnson said the recent rain Townsville had experienced had been brought about by the recent cyclone activity off the border of the Northern Territory and Queensland.

“It’s been out in the Gulf and it’s been more Cairns focus with the systems that have come across from there. I think you’ve seen a little bit of it in Townsville.”

In fact, the south-easterly winds and pressure will largely keep the rain away from Townsville over the coming days, with only ‘scattered showers’ expected.

Temperatures topped out at 27 degrees on Christmas Day, but will begin to climb once again as the week goes on, with an average maximum temperature of 31 degrees and plenty of sun forecast over the next seven days.

Originally published as Townsville told to batten down the hatches ahead of strong winds