Severe weather warned for popular Aussie coastal spots as cyclone weakens

SYDNEY: Authorities warned of severe weather and hazardous surf conditions for Australia’s southern Queensland and far northern New South Wales states yesterday, despite the cancellation of a Tropical Cyclone Oma alert as the major storm weakened, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.

Gale force winds, with gusts greater than 90-kilometre per hour, were possible across coastal regions across the states during the weekend with highest tides of the year also likely to continue, according to the national bureau of meteorology.

“There could be waves up to seven meters over the course of the weekend and in some instances it may be higher. We don’t want to put other people’s lives at risk to save you, so please keep off our beaches this weekend,” Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was quoted by the ABC news channel

Queensland is famous for its Gold Coast swimming and surfing tourist spots. Coastal areas like Byron Bay in northern New South Wales are also popular draws during the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Lifesavers rescued more than 40 surfers from Queensland’s Noosa and Mooloolaba areas, according to the channel. Tourists in at least eight of the state’s Sunshine Coast holiday park spots were moved away from coastal areas due to high tides and large swells forecast, it said. — Bernama