Forecasters are expecting Cyclone Oma to keep impacting the Queensland coast into early next week as the weather bureau struggles to predict its path amid the effects of other forces.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A coastal watch was in place from Ballina to Bundaberg on Thursday night while other parts of Queensland were bracing for gale-force winds of more than 75km/h, heavy rainfall and coastal erosion.
The Bureau of Meteorology was urging the Sunshine Coast to brace itself because residents could cop the brunt of the cyclone.
Brisbane was also put on notice despite the bureau expecting the first cyclone to threaten to strike the city in almost three decades turn northwards at the last minute.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Lauren Pattie said forecasters were keeping the warning zone broad until they could better gauge where the cyclone would move.
"It’s a little bit tricky in that there’s a couple of competing factors that makes it quite difficult determining exactly where that track will go," she said.
"There's a few subtle features but the main driver is what we call a mid-level ridge to its east and it is something in the upper atmosphere that is pushing it to the upper west.
"There’s a high pressure system moving in and as Oma slows down a little bit it's strengthening and keeping it just a little bit offshore."
Ms Pattie said depending on how strongly the ridge developed, it could determine the the cyclone's impact.
"It's all a bit uncertain until Saturday when we should have a better idea of where it is heading but it is all hinging on how close the cyclone comes to the coasts," she said.
"The closer it gets the heavier rainfall we will receive."
Ms Pattie said gale-force winds were expected in the next 48 hours, with more information to come on which areas would be most affected.
"We’ve already seen the seas and swells start to pick up with the buoys recording two-to-three-metre waves just offshore this morning," she said.
"We do expect this to increase ... we can expect to see waves from four-to-six metres and even higher over the weekend."
Gale-force winds were expected to hit coastal parts of Queensland from Friday, particularly the islands and exposed coasts.
Ms Pattie said southern Capricornia would see some high tides between half a metre and a metre above the highest tide of the year as well as coastal inundation and erosion.
The Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Coolangatta were warned to beware of anomalous high tides, dangerous surf and gale-force winds expected to occur throughout the weekend.
"This will extend to Yamba to parts of NSW," the meteorologist said.
"I expect to see a bit of coastal erosion and low inundation as well.
"At this stage, we expect the areas to be mostly affected in the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay area but it could be anywhere on the south-east corner in the entire coast.
"Particularly on that coastal fringe where we could see falls of 50-150 millimetres with heavy showers."
On Thursday, all 34 Gold Coast beaches were closed for the following three days amid warnings the system could bring as much as 300 millimetres of rain.
The Sunshine Coast council was "preparing for the worst" with the weather event expecting to pull down power lines.
Meanwhile Brisbane City Council warned residents on Facebook about minor localised flooding, which could occur in the bayside, riverside and low-lying parts of nearby suburbs.
"Areas connected to foreshore, and tide-affected areas of the river, creeks and other waterways may also be affected," the council wrote.
"Residents in areas prone to localised flooding due to high tides are advised to avoid parking their cars on the street during these times."
Sandbags will be available at 38 Shamrock Road at Darra, 9 Redfern Street at Morningside, 66 Wilston Road at Newmarket, 33 Jennings Street at Zillmere and Herbert Street at Lota.
- With Toby Crockford and Lydia Lynch.
