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Gale force winds blow up Qld coast

Thursday July 24, 2008 - 07:18 EST

Surf pounds the jetty at Main Beach-The Spit at Surfers Paradise on July 23, 2008. - ABC

Boats are likely to remain in port today because of the gale and strong wind warning for much of the Queensland coast.

Wind warnings are current for coastal waters between Cooktown in the state's far north to Point Danger in the south-east.

Hazardous beach conditions are expected for the Fraser coast during the day.

Weather bureau forecaster Brett Harrison says gale force winds were recorded on Cape Moreton in the state's south-east early this morning.

"Wind gusts got to 80 kilometres per hour in that region," he said.

"Generally we should see the winds a bit higher than they were yesterday.

"Overall the sea conditions probably won't be as bad as what we saw yesterday - it has eased to about three metres and likely to stay around that strength today."

Hervey Bay Marine Rescue radio operator Rex McVeigh says boaties are not venturing out.

"Pretty rough and windy and it's raining and I don't think it's a good time to go fishing actually," he said.

Regional Queenslanders are checking rain records after big falls in the past 24 hours.

The Mackay-Whitsunday region has recorded more than its July average rainfall in just two days.

Central Queensland also received welcome heavy rain as the system moved down the coast.

Rockhampton had 42 millimetres and Emerald, Biloela and Yeppoon about 60 millimetres.

Heavy rain fell all night in the Wide Bay.

Hervey Bay received just under 60 millimetres to 530am AEST.

The rain has dealt another blow to canegrowers in the Burdekin region.

An industrial incident at the Pioneer Sugar Mill near Townsville last month stalled the cane crush, delaying its completion to December and frustrating farmers.

But Burdekin Canegrowers Association chairman David Lando says the rain is likely to push the completion date back even further.

"We have got wet days in our calculations for our season length and all that sort of thing," he said.

"This'll be putting us back beyond those 10 days because we've had a couple of days of wet weather before this now and then this heavier rain," he said.

"We've had over 35 to 40 millimetres now and probably increasing.

"It's going to set us back - detrimental to the whole season."

- ABC

© ABC 2008