Showers and light rain as tourists descend for weekend of NRL
Hopes of a dry weekend in Brisbane for the NRL’s blockbuster Magic Round have been dashed; After a week of persistent rain, showers are expected to continue in south-east Queensland.
Brisbane woke up to gray skies and cool temperatures on Friday, but as the morning progressed solar flares were seen across the city’s inner city.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Christie Johnson said locals and visitors could expect similar conditions and showers in the coming days, thanks to a high pressure system in the Tasman Sea directing south-easterly winds over the SEQ.
“This will increase the risk of showers across south-east Queensland,” Johnson said.
Bureau modeling showed light precipitation on Friday and Saturday; Sunday is expected to be the rainiest period of the weekend.
“We will likely see single-digit rainfall today. [and] “There will be very similar conditions tomorrow,” he said.
“Potentially the wettest day could be Sunday, when a trough is located in the area that could increase shower activity.”
Assuring the thousands of football fans who come to Suncorp Stadium throughout the four-day tournament, Johnson said the rain on Caxton Street would be “mutual”.
“In some places there will be showers, in some places there won’t be much of anything,” he said.
“There will probably be some sunny patches in between, which may dry things out a bit depending on the sun to cloud and shower ratio.”
Temperatures in Brisbane will remain moderate around 24-25 degrees throughout the weekend.
The bureau said showers are expected to continue next week and rainfall will increase on Monday and Tuesday.
Up to 50,000 people are expected to pack Suncorp Stadium each day in the Magic Round as all 16 NRL teams compete in eight games at the venue.
Suncorp Stadium grounds manager Matthew Oliver He said a wet weekend “could undo much of our hard work” and that the grounds team hoped for minimal rain during the matches.
“We may never win a beauty pageant, especially when we’re really busy, but players I love playing here, they always know what to expect when they come here,” he told this imprint last week.
Queensland police said 70,000 people were expected in the city between Thursday and Sunday for the sporting event and encouraged people to submit permits. extra travel time and plan for road disruptions.
A major closure of Caxton Street will run from 10am on Thursday until 2am on Monday. Local roads around Suncorp Stadium will also be temporarily closed at the start and end of each match.
“Public safety is our top priority and I encourage all participants to be patient, considerate and respectful of others,” North Brisbane District Acting Superintendent Simon Tayler said.
“We will have extra police officers patrolling the city to ensure the night goes smoothly… [and] “The police will have zero tolerance for any behavior that may cause public nuisance or drink driving offences.”
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli confirmed on Wednesday the Magic Round will remain in Brisbane until at least 2032 after signing a deal with the NRL and cutting interstate interest.
Get instant alerts for important breaking news. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.
