Gold & Sunshine Coast Report issued at 5.50am Wednesday 8th May 2024

Weather Forecast: The BOM is forecasting a partly cloudy day with an 80% chance of showers on the Gold and a 90% chance on the Sunshine Coast and a top temperature of 23-24°

Wind Forecast: 10-15kts S/SW early, becoming 15-20kts S/SE this morning, tending more SE this afternoon. Be aware that showers can affect wind speed and direction

Swell: 0.75-1m E/SE on the open beaches on the northern end of the Gold Coast and along the Tweed Coast. 1-1.2m SE/E on the northern end of the Sunshine Coast. Smaller in the bays on the north side of headlands

Tides: Mooloolaba: High @ 7.49am … Low @ 1.57pm

Snapper Rocks: High @ 8.05am … Low @ 2.01pm

Best waves: The swell is small and lacking power and given the forecast of fresh S/SE to SE winds, the cleanest waves will be on the points, but you could look for beach breaks early, between Maroochydore and Caloundra and Currumbin to Coolangatta, while the wind is S/SW

Best Beaches: It looks like being a cloudy or partly cloudy day with a high chance of showers, so not a great day for the beach. With fresh to strong SE winds forecast, the bays on the north side of the headlands at Noosa, Mooloolaba, Burleigh, Kirra, Greenmount and Rainbow Bay will offer the best shelter from the wind

It’ll be windy along the open stretches of beach and there’s inshore holes and gutters along them. It’s new moon tonight, so there’s big tidal differences and any rips and sweep working around those holes and gutters, will be enhanced as the increased volume of water drains off the beach on the mid morning to mid afternoon ebb tide, so swim in the patrolled areas marked by the red and yellow flags