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Westerly winds, showers and a drop in temperature are expected in Brisbane as the first full week of the Ekka kicks off, with potential thunderstorms to hit the city by Monday afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Harry Clark said a trough moving through south-east Queensland on Monday would bring a sudden shift in the weather.
“It will have a line of showers and thunderstorms – potentially quite gusty ones – as it moves through. And behind it, quite brisk and freshy westerly winds,” the senior meteorologist said.
The “Ekka winds”, common in south-east Queensland at this time of year, could reach 40km/h to 60km/h.
“It’s not the strongest westerly wind burst we’ve had,” Clark said, “but it’ll be fresh and notable.”
The winds are expected to decrease by Tuesday, followed by another brief burst on Wednesday, though the peak is forecast for Monday.
For those wondering why the westerlies arrive around the Ekka with such consistency, Clark attributes it to the cold fronts that travel through Australia’s southern states around this time.
“During summer, they retreat much further south into the Southern Ocean,” he said.
“So essentially, this time of year, the cold fronts are at the most northern extent, and when they pass through, we get clipped by the westerly winds behind them.
“It’s also sort of exacerbated in Brisbane by our topography – the Brisbane River valley sort of funnels those winds down off the range and across Brisbane.”
Before the cold change, Ekka attendees can expect pleasant conditions, with a maximum of 25 degrees on Monday.
Cooler mornings could kick in from Tuesday, but the daytime temperatures will remain a pleasant 25-26 degrees.
“And then a bit of a dip down from Thursday onwards,” Clark said.
Other than a light shower on Wednesday, the outlook for the week is mostly fine, though showers may return to the south-east next weekend.
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