| All Sunshine Coast beaches closed in wake of wild weather |
ALL Sunshine Coast beaches are closed and surfers have been warned to stay away.
Surf Life Saving Queensland regional manager Aaron Purchase said the swell had eased, but conditions were treacherous and he did not advise anyone to go into the water.
Surf Life Saving Queensland is strongly urging everyone to avoid the beach, with unpredictable and highly-volatile coastal conditions continuing across the coming days.
All beaches across Wide Bay Capricorn and South East Queensland have been closed in the interests of public safety and SLSQ chief operating officer George Hill urged would-be swimmers and surfers to respect this decision and steer clear of the water.
"The conditions along most of Queensland's coastline are obviously extremely hazardous at this point in time, and we don't want people putting themselves at risk by swimming in dangerous or unpatrolled locations," Mr Hill said.
"Unfortunately yesterday our lifeguards on the Sunshine Coast were forced to rescue a swimmer at Noosa who had put himself and others in direct danger by ignoring the warnings in place and swimming at an unpatrolled location.
"People should also be mindful of conditions in and around river mouths and estuaries, as large amounts of debris, including dirt and rubbish, can often wash into the river systems.
When we have significant rain, dirt, tree logs and branches can also become dislodged creating a haven for fish, which in turn can attract sharks."
Mr Hill said it was safest to steer well clear of beaches today, even if just for a look.
"Even just walking along the beach could be dangerous in the current conditions; there might be strong surges that could sweep people away or erosion from high tides that could make some areas unsafe," he said.
"We encourage people to take the greatest care at all times."
Mr Hill said lifeguards and lifesavers would continue to monitor conditions closely over the coming days and would reopen beaches only if and when conditions were deemed safe.
SLSQ is continuing to work closely with Emergency Management Queensland, the Queensland Police Service and other authorities, and its Emergency Response Groups have been placed on standby to assist if required.
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