Strong winds and swell cause Four Mile Beach to close until further notice
4 MILE CLOSED
Four Mile Beach has been closed with the red flags up and stinger nets in the process of being removed from the swimming area, as high winds and ocean swell are forecast for up to the next 72 hours.
A Surf Life Saving Queensland supervisor confirmed to Newsport a short time ago that the beach will remain closed to swimmers until further notice.
The Bureau of Meteorology said it expected strong south-easterly winds to reach up to 25 knots – or 46 kilometres an hour – offshore today, and as high as 30 knots on Friday and Saturday.
The Bureau is attributing the strong coastal winds to a high pressure system moving eastward across the Tasman Sea, and said “a stronger high will strengthen the ridge over North Queensland waters as it moves eastward across southern states over the next few days.”
‘Whitecap’ waves can already be seen at Four Mile Beach, a well known sign that the wind is picking up and that weather conditions are worsening.
The stinger netting will remain out of the water until the risk of damage has eased, SLSQ said.
To keep an eye on conditions at Four Mile Beach over the coming days, go to Newsport’s Beachcam here: