THE Easter long weekend is expected to start off with warm weather across most of Australia but throughout the four days, a cold front is likely to cross the south.
The forecast for Moree and the slopes and plains is clear, mostly sunny days over Easter, with maximum temperatures ranging from 27 degrees to 30 degrees.
Overnight temperatures will hover around the 11-13 mark.
Sources outside BoM, say rain or showers are possible in the district Monday or Tuesday.
Nationally, the cold front across the south will be moving across southern Western Australia on Friday, before reaching the south-east from Sunday, leading to lower than average temperatures across the southern states.
There are daily BoM video updates at Moree Online News Home Page.
Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines said while conditions could still change, early forecasts allow Australians to start planning their Easter weekend.
“There will be a distinct change in the weather for the southern states during the long weekend as hot, dry and sunny weather shifts to cool, cloudy conditions with patchy showers and the outside chance of thunderstorms,” Mr Hines said.
“Southern Western Australia will already be feeling the cooler winds by Friday, but for South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, it’s likely to be Sunday when the weather shifts, while New South Wales and ACT hold onto the sunny and hot conditions until Monday.
“Rainfall from this passing weather system will be quite patchy during Easter, and on the whole, the rainfall totals will be low,” he said.
A deep low pressure system in the Tasman Sea will also generate large and powerful surf and swell across the New South Wales coast and offshore islands, including Norfolk and Lord Howe Island.
“This low pressure system is very powerful, although it’s a long way offshore. This low will not impact our weather directly but will generate some very large, powerful waves for eastern Australia,” Mr Hines said.
“These waves will build on Thursday and stay high until Saturday. Coastal hazard and hazardous surf warnings are likely to be issued. Given the fine and hot forecast for the east coast during Friday and Saturday, the community needs to be aware of the dangerous coastal conditions.”
In the west, heavy rain is possible for the northern Western Australia coast if the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Errol move onshore.
“From Thursday, Tropical Cyclone Errol could steer south-eastwards back towards the coast. While it is forecast to weaken, while doing so, it may bring impacts such as heavy rain, thunderstorms and damaging wind to parts of the Kimberley and Eastern Pilbara over the weekend,” Mr Hines said.
The Easter weekend will be warm across most of the Northern Territory, with some cooler than average conditions pushing into the far south from Easter Sunday.
“While the Top End will be mostly dry through Easter, patchy rain is possible through parts of the western districts as moisture pushes in from the Kimberley,” Mr Hines said.
While a sunny and dry Easter is expected across Queensland, widespread major flooding continues for south-west Queensland, north-east South Australia and northern New South Wales.
“Significant flooding is likely to continue for weeks to come, as floodwaters move slowly downstream,” Mr Hines said.
Keep up to date with the latest weather warnings and forecasts over the Easter long weekend on the Bureau’s website www.bom.gov.au.
There are also daily BoM video updates at Moree Online News Home Page.
If travelling during the school holidays, weather notifications for your chosen locations are available at the BOM Weather app.
