Warning for risk of moderate flooding in Mary, Burnett River catchments
A weekend of predicted wild weather has prompted a warning for possible moderate flooding in parts of regional Queensland.
Gympie
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gympie. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Just days out from the two-year anniversary of the January floods, the Mary River is back on alert with communities warned prepare for possible minor to moderate as heavy rain is expected to send out 2023.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said residents should be aware of the flood warning and keep up to date.
“Be alert, but not alarmed,” he said.
The flood watch includes the Mary, Burrum and Cherwell Rivers.
Mr Seymour said the risk was for heavy localised rain which could lead to flash flooding, rather than river rises as seen in 2022.
“The warning area is for a very large part of Queensland: Rockhampton south to the border, tomorrow, on Saturday by 1pm we will have a better understanding of the areas, and catchments which might be affected.
“In the meantime, people should be alert, but not alarmed.
“I encourage people to log onto the Fraser Coast Disaster Dashboard to receive important notifications,” Mr Seymour said.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning shortly before 3.30pm Friday, saying the severe weather was expected to hit late Saturday.
A BoM spokesman said in the warning the rain was part of a trough moving slowly over central and southeast Queensland across the weekend.
The warning covers 16 catchments including the Mary River, Burnett River, Dawson and Don Rivers, Calliope River, Boyne River, Baffle Creek, Kolan River, Burnett River, Burrum and Cherwell Rivers, Noosa River, Sunshine Coast Rivers and Creeks, Pine and Caboolture Rivers, Upper Brisbane River, Lower Brisbane River, Logan and Albert Rivers, Gold Coast Rivers and Creeks, and Condamine Rivers.
Catchments in these areas were already moderately wet from recent rainfall, the spokesman said.
Heavy and intense rainfall from thunderstorms is likely from across the southern parts of the flood watch area from early Saturday.
It is likely to continue Sunday, moving affecting other catchments as it moves north.
The spokesman said localised river rises were expected as a result of the rainfall, with isolated minor to moderate riverine flooding possible.
Widespread flooding is not expected.
The heavy rain follows a week in which severe storms have wreaked havoc across Queensland, leaving multiple people dead including two women who drowned in tragic stormwater drain incident on the Mary River at Gympie.
Parts of the northern end of the Gold Coast were devastated by wild weather which carved a path of destruction on Christmas night.
In early 2022 Gympie and southeast Queensland were inundated in one of the worst flood disasters on record following a prolonged period of rainfall across the region, leaving a damage bill estimated to be in the billions of dollars.
Dirt bike rider arrested over thefts and break-ins across Gympie
A 32-year-old man accused of using a motorbike to help carry out his crimes will face court on charges of breaking and entering businesses and vehicles, possessing drugs, stealing and violence.
K’gari dingoes not relocated to Bunya Mountains, Mayor says
An increase in close encounters and dingo sightings in the Bunya Mountains had raised concerns among some South Burnett residents that dingoes from Fraser Island were being relocated to the mainland.