Showers tipped to dampen ceremony

SINGIN’ in the rain.

There’s a good chance performers in the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will be doing just that, with forecasters expecting the Gold Coast to be hit with showers for much of next week.

“It looks like there’s a good chance of showers on Monday with the additional possibility of a storm,” said Weatherzone forecaster Craig McIntosh.

Coastal showers are expected to coincide with a dress rehearsal on Monday for the opening ceremony, before the real thing takes place on Wednesday.

Mr McIntosh said any falls were likely to be restricted to coastal areas and might not make it as far inland as the major Games venue at Carrara.

“Onshore winds, that’s what will drive showers in over the Gold Coast,” Mr McIntosh said.

“Showers are expected to be light, with scattered showers and sunny breaks in between at this stage.”

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Aditi Sharan said the Gold Coast could expect falls of up to 5mm from Monday night.

“There’s a slight to medium chance of showers, about a 40 per cent chance we’ll have showers with up to 5mm of rain,” Mr Sharan said.

“There are a lot of differences in the (forecast) models we use but generally there’s a chance of showers.”

The bureau forecasts showers today, with the chance of a thunderstorm. Gloomy weather is forecast to continue throughout the week.

Big waves up to 2.5m are expected to hit Gold Coast beaches tomorrow, whipped up by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Iris which formed briefly in the Coral Sea at the weekend, according to Coastalwatch.

BOXING FOR HER BROTHER P62, INSPIRING GAMES MOMENTS P63