Qld weather: Warning as severe system moves south amid cyclone watch
A monster tropical low that has menaced Far North Qld for days, dropping almost a metre of rain in just 72 hours, is shifting south and threatening more widespread flooding.
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Emergency call-outs and dramatic flood rescues continue in parts of Far North Queensland where almost one metre of water has been fallen in three days.
Figures reveal a whopping 925mm of rain fell at Mount Sophia, south of Cairns, and 873mm near Babinda.
The SES received 45 call-outs over the past 24 hours, mostly because of flooding in the Gordonvale and Yarrabah areas inland from Cairns, and Queensland Police have released footage of officers wading through floodwaters in Gordonvale, where they rescued two men – one 94 and the other 64 – and took them to safety.
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.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Johnathan How said heavy rain continued on the tropical coast overnight, but that severe weather was now moving as far south as Mackay.
“We saw another 100 to 250mm on locations like Tully, Innisfail and Gordonvale. We also did see between 100 and 150mm around the Mackay area and up the coast to Hamilton Island.”
Residents between Bowen and Mackay have been warned to keep an eye on possibly severe storms.
“This morning, we’re actually seeing rain easing about the Cassowary Coast particular for locations south and around Cairns,” Mr How said.
“We can expect showers and thunderstorms to redevelop around this part of the coastline into the afternoon further south. Severe thunderstorms are possible throughout the day, bringing areas of heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding.”
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 council also advised residents in the Bartle Frere Scheme, including Woopen Creek, to boil water for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth until further notice.
“Increased rainfall is impacting on council’s ability to adequately treat water, and storage levels have been depleted,” it said
“Customers should bring water to a boil by heating the water until a continuous and rapid stream of air-bubbles is produced from the bottom of a pan or kettle.”
A flood watch is also in place for parts of the North Tropical Coast, with a moderate flood warning in place for Mulgrave River and a minor one for Russell River and Tully River.
A marine wind warning is in place for the Cairns Coast, Townsville Coast and Mackay Coast.
Mr 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,” Mr How said.
“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.”
Up to 20 roads across the Cairns region were closed due to flooding, including parts of the Bruce Highway between Ingham and Cardwell, while a landslide shut down the Kuranda Range road.
Flooding has closed Tully Mission Road at Birkalla, the Burke Developmental Road at Gamboola, Pine Creek Yarrabah Road at Green Hill, Silkwood Japoon Road at Silkwood and Burke Developmental Road at Wrotham.
Weatherzone’s Ashleigh Madden said the enhanced tropical activity comes as two giant tropical waves clash near Australia – the Madden Julian Oscillation and an equatorial Kelvin Wave.
“In addition to the tropical waves, a monsoon surge is forecast to move over Indonesia towards Australia later this week, enhancing the potential for a tropical cyclone to develop in the region,” Ms Madden said.
Railway tracks were flooded in North Queensland, causing disruptions to train services across the region.
On social media, Queensland Rail said crews are working hard to keep the network running in the region.
“Water over the tracks caused by heavy rainfall and high tides can have significant impacts on our network and quickly become a safety risk,” the statement read.
“While our dedicated teams are working hard to keep the network running across the state, some service disruptions are likely to occur, as your safety remains our top priority. “Our thoughts are with all communities affected.”
King tides are also occurring in the Cairns region, with the peak expected on Thursday, but higher than usual tides predicted until at least Sunday.
Cairns Regional Council has advised motorists to avoid parking in low-lying tidal areas and not to drive through floodwaters, as tidal flooding can damage cars.
Local disaster co-ordinator Rhys Newton said the council, supported by the Bureau through their severe weather warning and regular updates on river height levels, was monitoring local weather.
“Yearly king tides are predicted to impact the Cairns region this week, and council crews have been out deploying road signs to advise of salt water inundation,” he said.
Associated road inundation is not expected to be greatly exacerbated by current rain, but please avoid driving and parking in affected areas.
“The Barron, Mulgrave and Russell River heights are currently below minor flooding,” he said. “We do expect that localised flooding will impact some low-lying roads and bridges.”
Mr Newton said this was a timely reminder for residents to ensure they are prepared for severe weather.
“This includes having household emergency plan and kit, and being familiar with the Cairns disaster dashboard,” he said.
Mr Nichols said the dashboard was an important tool, as a single point of reference during a disaster. State Emergency Services staff and volunteers across Queensland are preparing for any potential emergency response required in the event of severe weather including cyclones.
Checks have been made to ensure suitable stock and equipment in regional stores.
State and regional co-ordination teams are ready to activate to support the SES volunteers in the field and deploy as required.
Far Northern and Northern SES are well prepared and already responding to requests due to the annual monsoonal weather. The SES units in these regions are in close liaison with Local Disaster Management Groups to support local community readiness. SES encourages all Queenslanders, especially the communities in northern Queensland, to undertake their home and personal preparation activities now, to minimise any severe weather impact to them.
Originally published as Qld weather: Warning as severe system moves south amid cyclone watch