LifestyleWarm and muggy conditions to change this weekend

Warm and muggy conditions to change this weekend

Warm and muggy conditions
Warm and muggy conditions to change this weekend. Photo: Elliott Heads Beach surf

Well, it has been a very overcast, and very warm and muggy week across the local region, with not that much rain falling despite the overcast and threatening skies.

Now, looking ahead to the coming days, and it appears we are set for contrasting and very different days!

Today’s forecast is for more of the same – warm and muggy, with gusty northerly winds, along with showers and thunderstorms – but things will change quickly over the weekend.

Tomorrow morning will bring a gusty and cooler SW wind change, along with sunny skies and a much calmer ocean!

More importantly though, the humidity levels will drop significantly – particularly on Sunday when the minimum temperature will drop back below 20 degrees.

Today’s winds will continue from the N/NW at 20 to 25 knots throughout the day, before we awake tomorrow morning to SW winds at around 15 to 20 knots.

These winds will then gradually decrease during the day tomorrow and eventually swing to the W/NW during the afternoon (10 to 15 knots).

Sunday is then looking to be a cracker of a day with S/SW winds in the morning at around 10 knots that will then swing to the N/NW at 10 to 15 knots through the afternoon.

Swimming: The swimming conditions have been quite choppy this past week on most beaches due to the persistent northerly winds, although a couple of our beaches did produce better swimming conditions due to their protection from these winds.

Looking ahead to the coming days and we will continue to see quite choppy and messy conditions for swimmers through today, and especially on those beaches that face in a northerly direction.

If you are planning a swim today, I would certainly be heading to either Kelly’s Beach or Elliott Heads to find the better conditions.

However, for the weekend, we can expect the ocean conditions to improve quickly, and they will be quite calm and gentle for the most part.

Over the weekend, all beaches will be good for swimmers through the mornings, but through the afternoons, when that wind swings, I would envisage Elliott Heads and Kelly’s Beach to again be slightly better.

Please check with the surf lifesavers or lifeguard on duty, read any safety signage or messages, and most importantly please swim only at patrolled beaches, only between the red and yellow flags, and only during patrol times – remember, if we can’t see you, we can’t save you!

Beach patrols: Today and weekdays – 9am to 5pm at Kelly’s Beach and Agnes Water only

Saturday – 9am to 5pm at Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach & Agnes Water; 1pm to 5pm at Elliott Heads and Moore Park Beach.

Sunday – 9am to 5pm at Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water.

Surfing: The ocean has been mostly choppy and messy this week, with the waves being much the same – although there were a few moments earlier in the week that provided some fun conditions. Today’s forecast for more gusty northerly winds, will not be lending itself to great surfing conditions, but I would still perhaps consider looking at Kelly’s Beach or Elliott Heads if you are keen to get wet.

Then, for the weekend, I think that early tomorrow morning may really be your only window of opportunity to find a few waves before the wave heights quickly drop away to being very small.

Keep those fingers crossed for a few clean and fun-sized waves early tomorrow morning when the offshore wind change arrives!

For the SUP and ocean ski/kayak paddlers, today should provide plenty of fun and fast downwind paddling conditions for you – going from north to south of course – before the weekend gives rise to much calmer and more gentle ocean conditions that will lend themselves to early morning gentle, social paddles!

Events:  The first of our local Junior Surf Lifesaving Carnivals for this season will be held on Sunday at Moore Park Beach, with approximately 250 to 300 junior surf lifesavers (Under 8 to Under 15) from the Hervey Bay, Elliott Heads, Bundaberg, Moore Park and Agnes Water SLSC’s competing. Competition starts at 9am.

Important note: Remember there are updated COVID-19 restrictions, if you are at the beach, please maintain the social/physical distancing minimum guidelines and abide by the current group gathering guidelines as well.

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