Mixed Easter Weather Forecast for Australian Capital Cities
The Bureau of Meteorology has released its weather forecast for the Easter long weekend, predicting a combination of fine days and showers for most of Australia's capital cities. Senior meteorologist Jonathan How described the outlook as "a period of calmer weather before a potential cyclone next week."
Capital City Forecast Details
Sydney will experience showers from the beginning of the weekend, with maximum temperatures ranging from low to mid-20s Celsius. Rain is expected most days except Monday.
Brisbane will be warmer with temperatures reaching into the high 20s, accompanied by a chance of rain for the first three days of the long weekend. How noted that it will be "pretty windy" along the Queensland coast, with marine wind warnings likely throughout the weekend.
Melbourne is forecast to have mostly fine weather from Friday to Sunday, with showers expected on Monday. Hobart will follow a similar pattern of weather conditions.
Canberra will remain mostly dry with maximum temperatures between 19 and 25 degrees Celsius. Darwin will experience isolated showers, storms, and temperatures in the 30s.
Perth will see temperatures in the mid to high 20s over the four-day period, with thunderstorms expected to roll through inland Western Australia on Good Friday, possibly reaching the city.
Adelaide will enjoy fine and "fairly warm" conditions until possible showers arrive on Monday. Temperatures could reach 29 degrees Celsius on Sunday, prompting How to warn: "If you leave chocolate out in the sun, it will melt."
Cyclone Development Monitoring
Despite the mostly settled conditions across capital cities, meteorologists are closely watching a tropical low labeled 37U, currently located between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. How stated that this system is expected to "deepen and strengthen" over the weekend.
The system has a high chance of becoming a cyclone on Sunday when it moves over the northern Coral Sea, and is expected to approach the Australian coast from mid-next week. "It's still a little bit too early to say whether it will cross the coast due to the range of different scenarios," How explained.
If the cyclone forms in Australian waters, it would be named Owen. However, naming rights depend on where it forms, as it's located near the boundary of Papua New Guinea and Fiji's areas of responsibility.
Important Weather Precautions
How reminded Australians to check the forecast before heading out for camping or beach activities over the Easter weekend. He specifically noted that catchments remain soaked across Queensland's north-east tropical coast, meaning any showers could lead to isolated river and creek rises.
"No capital city is forecast to be completely dry. At the same time, no city should be a washout," How summarized, emphasizing the mixed but manageable weather conditions expected across the country.
