Cyclone Watch cancelled as Oma stays offshore
A Cyclone Watch for parts of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales has been cancelled with forecasters now increasingly confident Tropical Cyclone Oma will stay well away from the Coast.
Oma has weakened to a Category One system overnight with sustained winds of 85 kilometres an hour and gusts of 120 kilometres.
But it is expected to strengthen back to a Category Two on Friday.
It’s currently located 710 kilometres east northeast of Brisbane and 720 kilometres east of Bundaberg and is tracking in a south southwesterly direction at 13 kilometres per hour .
The Bureau of Meteorology is expecting Oma to stay offshore and start tracking north on Saturday.
Cyclone Oma Forecast Track Map, 22/02/19 @ 0500. Image: BOM
Despite Oma staying away from the Coast, strong winds and big surf are still expected from the Fraser Coast to the New South Wales border.
A Severe Weather Warning for Damaging Winds, Abnormally High Tides and Dangerous Surf remains in place.
“Gale force winds, with gusts greater than 90km/hr, are expected to develop along exposed coastal areas of southern Queensland during Friday well ahead of Oma,” the BOM said in a statement.
