Cyclone Seth delivers wet and wild weather

Crowds flocked to Noosa Main Beach. Photos: Rob Maccoll

With the eastern beaches closed this week because of large seas whipped up by ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth, holidaymakers headed to Noosa Main Beach for a swim or a surf.

The Bureau of Meteorology said on Tuesday the cyclone was located in the Coral Sea east of Brisbane and was forecast to slowly drift west as it weakened. The weakening remnants of the system were expected to drift west to northwest over the following few days and possibly approach the southeast coast on Thursday.

The cyclone was causing large seas and swells over southeast waters, and, coinciding with an astronomical peak in tides, was producing abnormally high tides causing minor flooding as seen on Gympie Terrace. The bureau predicted the conditions would slowly ease heading into the weekend.

A strong wind warning was issued by the bureau ranging from gale force winds on Tuesday in Sunshine Coast waters inshore, south to southwesterly 15 to 25 knots, and offshore south to southwesterly 20 to 30 knots, reaching up to 35 knots at times during the day.

Winds were expected to change by Thursday from southeasterly up to 30 knots to northeasterly up to 25 knots during the day.

Sea swells were predicted up to 1.5m inshore and 2m offshore.

A warning was issued for large and powerful surf conditions that would make coastal activities such as crossing bars by boat and rock fishing hazardous.

Showers and thunderstorms have been forecast throughout the week with skies partly cloudy.