Qld weather: Monster low to continue days-long deluge on state’s Far North
A monster tropical low that has battered far north Queensland for days dumping nearly a metre of rain in 72 hours is shifting south, bringing warnings of heavy deluges and widespread flooding.
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A monster tropical low that has battered far north Queensland for days dumping nearly a metre of rain in 72 hours is shifting south, bringing warnings of heavy deluges and widespread flooding.
There were fears the low would develop into tropical cyclone off the Coral Sea, but weather experts say the risk has reduced.
There have been 38 State Emergency Service (SES) callouts over the past 24 hours with 36 of them in the Far North for leaks, tarps and sandbags.
About 46 per cent were reported for structural damage which is predominantly leaking roofs, 46 per cent were reported for flooding which incorporated Sandbagging requests, mostly preventative measures prior to flooding.
While eight per cent were for fallen trees with chainsaw requests and removals of trees.
A pair of elderly men were rescued from their flood ravaged home by police at Gordonvale yesterday.
Meteorologist Angus Hines said already flooded parts of the state would continue to be saturated on Friday and into the weekend.
“This week the heaviest rainfalls have been between Cairns and Townsville but on Thursday the rain coalesced further south,” Mr Hines said.
He said the rain totals had been “remarkable” with 939mm in seven days at Mount Sophia, 900mm at Clyde Road and more than 600mm in nearby locations.
“It has caused significant flooding, road closures, detours and damage, with more on the way,” Mr Hines said.
The wet weather will continue to lash further south and become heavier over the Whitsundays, Burdekin region, Proserpine, Bowen and north of Mackay.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Johnathan How said the chance of a tropical low in the North Coral Sea turning into a cyclone had reduced, but that the Bureau was still monitoring a low in The Gulf of Carpentaria.
“It does still have a 25 per cent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone from Sunday.”
He said the low in the Coral Sea off Cairns had fallen from a 25 per cent chance of turning into a cyclone over the weekend to 15 per cent.
“It is starting to move away from the coast, but over the next two to three days, it is looking less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone.
“It is expected to drift back towards the coast, and this will bring further heavy rainfall particularly on Saturday and Sunday, and the possibility of flooding areas all the way into early next week.”
While Mr Hines said the north of Townsville would reach “the top of the scale” with 300mm of rain that could easily reach 500mm in nearby isolated locations.
A flood warning issued by the Cairns Regional Council remains in effect for areas between Gordonvale and Innisfail.
The warning indicated the conditions could be difficult as more than 20 roads remained closed, including parts of the Bruce Highway.
The low is not expected to impact Southeast Queensland, with just light rain forecast for the region over the weekend.
Far North District Officer Chief Superintendent Kevin Fitzgibbon warned locals not to be complacent.
“While we’ve seen a slight reprieve in the wet weather today, we are expecting further rainfall later this week,” Chief Superintendent Fitzgibbon said.
“We have plans in place and are moving resources accordingly, but now is the time to prepare your home and family in the event of flash flooding.
SES crews received 45-plus calls for help from flooded residents yesterday, mostly in areas inland from Cairns, where two elderly men were rescued by police.
Originally published as Qld weather: Monster low to continue days-long deluge on state’s Far North
New warning zones, metre of rain as monster lows menace Qld
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