# Improved Marine Weather Services for Qld



## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT - BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY

Improving marine weather services for Queensland 
The Bureau of Meteorology is improving its weather services for boaters in Queensland from this October.

Coastal Waters forecast changes 
•	The number of coastal waters forecast zones will increase from 11 to 14.
•	The two large coastal forecast zones from Torres Strait to Cardwell will be split into 3 new forecast zones, Cooktown, Cairns and Townsville Waters. 
•	The current Southeast Coastal Waters zone will be split into two for the Sunshine Coast Waters and Gold Coast Waters. 
New coastal waters forecast and warning service will be introduced for the Torres Strait with 4 day wind and wave forecasts plus wind warnings. This new forecast zone will cover the entire Australian national boundary in the Torres Strait, servicing many more island communities.
•	Forecast for thunderstorms, fog and heavy precipitation will be included along with seas and swell forecasts extending to 4 days. 
•	The forecast format will have an improved layout for easier reading, particularly for VHF radio broadcasts.
•	Marine Wind Warnings for the current day and the next day will be incorporated in the coastal waters forecast, eliminating the need for a separate product and assisting with longer term planning.
•	A new product called Marine Wind Warning Summary will be available through the Bureau website.
•	During 2014, Queensland forecasts will be added to the MetEye interface on the BoM website. This will enable mariners to access forecast maps of winds and combined seas/swell, including the ability to select any location within the coastal waters zone for a forecast out to 7 days.

More information on the changes can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website at http://www.bom.gov.au/NexGenFWS/

Pradeep K Singh

Senior Meteorologist, Media and Community Relations

Queensland Regional Office

Australian Bureau of Meteorology

GPO Box 413, Brisbane QLD 4001

Phone: (07) 3239 8751

Greater accuracy = Improved safety


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