Southeast Queensland beaches brace for another hiding from the effects of Cyclone Sandra, while another develops in Gulf of Carpentaria GREY DAYS: Huge waves pound Snapper Rocks thanks to Cyclone Sandra. With any luck Cyclone Sandra will follow the course charted by forecasters and keep tracking away from Queensland but there's no getting away from what she has already whipped up. The Gold and Sunshine coasts have already felt a taste of the big swell that's on its way. Sandra, currently out over the Coral Sea, has eased back to a category 3 and is abating, but there's more - the chances of a monsoon depression moving across the Gulf of Carpentaria and developing into a cyclone have increased. The Gulf low is deemed to have a moderate chance of building into a cyclone today, tomorrow or Friday. It is expected to cross Cape York on Wednesday before moving offshore in a similar direction to Sandra, but closer to the coast. Weather Bureau forecaster Jonty Hall said it would take just six hours to cross Cape York today. "It won't be over land too long," Mr Hall said. GREY DAYS: Hayley Williams and daughter Chloe attempt to holiday at Coolum. The probability of it developing in the Coral Sea is a touch higher. Mr Hall said the low covered such a broad area that it had lighter winds at its centre and stronger winds further away. "This isn't so unusual and Cyclone Sandra was initially like that as well," he said. If they have enough time in a favourable environment and warm enough seas ... they can steadily develop ... with stronger winds near the centre. In the southeast, offshore swells were about 2.5m, with some peaks getting towards 6m. Sunshine Coast lifeguard supervisor Rhys Drury said the last thing the Coast needed was more big surf. "We're in a pretty bad way," he said. We've had constant swell since Australia Day. There's been no relief and no time for beaches to recover. Erosion is really bad from Maroochydore to Sunrise Beach. There's a lot of water moving around, with lots of gutters and rips. It's messy. I've not seen it this bad for a long, long time. Gold Coast chief lifeguard Warren Young said the region's southern beaches had coped well but northern beaches were suffering. The city's Mayor Tom Tate has ordered 20,000 cubic metres of sand dumped on a 1km stretch of the famous coastline to restore beaches. "We've got a 2m-plus swell already," he said. It's from the east and we need a more southerly swell to move sand north. Mr Hall said showers would continue north of Mackay but the southern half of the state and the west would have fine conditions beginning tomorrow.