Australia

Weather Underground Forecast for Thursday, May 22, 2008.

A broad trough of low pressure will remain in the northeastern Asia Thursday and Friday, keeping a threat for scattered rain showers in far southeastern China, northern Korea Peninsula and Hokkaido. Farther west, an unseasonably cold low pressure system will drop southeast across eastern Mongolia Thursday and push into northeastern China Friday. This system will bring scattered precipitation mainly to northern Mongolia and far northeastern China. Temperatures are expected to plunge well below normal as well into the weekend.

In the south, active tropical moisture is expected to move northeast through southern China, northern Philippines and Taiwan Thursday, producing moderate to heavy rainfall across the region. Thunderstorms are also possible, creating some heavy downpours especially in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.

In Australia, a strong high pressure system will remain in the southeastern part of the continent, with a weak trough prevailing in the interior of the east. Expect most of the central and eastern Australia remaining mild and tranquil, except some scattered showers and thunderstorms over the east coast. Moving westward, a cold front is expected to push eastward through portions of Western Australia Thursday, bringing periods of strong winds and widespread precipitation.