Well, it’s been a very hot and humid week so far with a mix of light to moderate winds, but things have certainly changed in the last 24 hours.

The forecast for the days ahead is also looking a bit varied, with a lot of uncertainty thanks to the weather system unfolding just south of us!

Right now it looks like we could definitely see some showers today and tomorrow at least, but if we do see significant rain that’s a bit up in the air – just keep an eye on the forecast.

This morning, the winds should only be quite light around 5 to 10 knots E/SE before increasing during the day to 10 to 15 knots.

Tomorrow morning will then bring stronger S/SE winds around 15 knots, before also increasing to 15 to 20 knots E/SE until the afternoon.

Sunday will then be almost identical to Saturday. Fingers crossed we see more sun than cloud by Sunday – if not sooner!

Swim: Swimming conditions over the past week have been quite good in the morning, but then choppy in the afternoon, and this will be the norm again over the next few days as well.

Generally, mornings should offer the best swimming conditions – especially early when the tide is higher and the winds are lighter – but today will be just fine for most of the day, with a light lapping this afternoon.

While swimming conditions this morning are expected to be fairly good at almost all of our beaches, this afternoon and then throughout the weekend beaches such as Hervey Bay, Agnes Water, Nielson Park and Moore Park Beach will be the best options for swimmers due to their protection from prevailing winds.

Swimmers will need to be careful though as there will be a side sweep pushing from right to left along these open beaches throughout the weekend, and the waves will be quite sloppy and messy.

Please check with lifeguards or lifeguards on duty, read any safety signs or messages, and most importantly, please swim only at patrolled beaches, only between red and yellow flags, and only during patrol hours – remember , if we can not see you , we can not save you !

Beach Patrols: Saturday and Sunday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Elliott Heads, Kelly’s Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water

Weekdays – 9am to 5pm at Kelly’s Beach and Agnes Water only

Surfing: Not much has happened in terms of quality waves for surfers over the past week, but there have been a few small windows of opportunity to find small waves here and there.

The next few days look promising, but without any confidence due to the unpredictability of the weather system just below us.

We should definitely see an increase in wave height, but wave quality will likely be lacking – sloppy, messy waves will likely dominate.

If you’re looking for surf, Nielson Park, Mon Repos, Moore Park Beach and Agnes Water are likely to be the best options for surfers – and likely the best either in the early morning or mid to late afternoon. Good luck!

For SUP and ocean ski paddlers, this morning will likely provide reasonably mild conditions for an ocean paddle – if the wind forecast holds true! For the weekend, maybe consider finding a few waves earlier, otherwise there might be acceptable tailwind conditions (south to north) throughout the weekend.

Events: Good luck to all the local Junior Surf Lifesavers competing today, tomorrow and Sunday in the 2022 QLD State Youth Surf Lifesaving Championships on the Sunshine Coast!

Important note: Remember that there are updated COVID-19 restrictions, if you are at the beach, please also do your best to respect them as much as possible!