Sunny reprieve ahead for south-east Queensland as windy Ekka week looms

Forecasters predict a brief respite from wet weather for south-east Queensland as windy conditions loom during the upcoming Ekka week. The east coast of Queensland experienced showers over the weekend, with the highest totals of 10 to 20 millimetres recorded on the Sunshine Coast. Inland areas were relatively dry, with cool mornings reaching -1.5 degrees Celsius in the Granite Belt.

Showers are expected to ease in the coming days due to a surge of south-westerly airflow, bringing dry and sunny conditions to central and southern coasts by the middle of the week. However, the reprieve will be brief, with showers returning briefly to parts of the east coast, including the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Sunshine Coast, for Friday and into the weekend.

Light falls are expected, but the showers will be on a slow-easing trend along the north tropical coast in the days ahead. Overnight minimum temperatures are expected to remain cool throughout the state's interior, with patchy frost possible for the southern interior over the coming days. Fresh south-easterlies are currently affecting the east coast, particularly the north-east tropical coast, and a strong wind warning is in place for the Torres Strait, Peninsula Coast, and Cooktown Coast.

These winds will gradually ease during Tuesday and Wednesday. While this week looks benign, the week after could bring more significant weather systems with gusty wind changes during the lead-up to the Ekka.