Stormy end to dry winter
STORMS are forecast to hit the Gold Coast by the end of the week, bringing to an end a four-week dry spell.
The Weather Bureau is predicting a trough to roll through by Friday afternoon, bringing with it showers and storms that could once again damage Coast beaches.
Director of Griffith University’s Centre for Coastal Management, Rodger Tomlinson, said Gold Coast beaches had been hit by big seas in recent months resulting in some erosion.
‘‘We can’t predict future wave conditions but beaches go through a natural erosion and recovery cycle and provided there are reasonable periods of calm weather, the beaches will recover,’’ he said.
‘‘In the event of further storm activity before the beaches can recover, the erosion may continue or may occur at different locations, depending on the wave conditions.’’
Prof Tomlinson said the city council was monitoring the beaches and carrying out work as needed.
He said about $8 million was spent on beach protection and maintenance, including dredging, each year.
Council spokeswoman Judy Dean said favourable swell and tides over the past two weeks meant sand had been slowly returning to all beaches.
‘‘All beaches are open, although some beach access points remain closed,’’ Ms Dean said.
Swell and tide conditions forecast into the weekend were favourable, with the storms not expected to affect the beaches.
‘‘Scarps are being monitored and where possible beach profiling work is carried out,’’ she said.
Weather Channel senior meteorologist Tom Saunders said the dry weather had been the result of a semi-stationary ridge of high pressure over central and northern Australia.
‘‘The dry spell should finally break over the next few days,’’ he said.
‘‘The best chance of rain for the Gold Coast is Friday when the trough comes across central and northern Australia then reaches Queensland’s southeast coast.
‘‘Temperatures will climb up to 25 on Friday but will cool down to 23 for the weekend,’’ he said.