Queensland set for wet New Year’s with falls in excess of 150mm possible

A major rain event starting today and continuing for most of the week is set to deliver a 150mm drenching to parts of Queensland.

Queensland is set for a wet welcome to 2021 with widespread rain and totals in excess of 150mm possible.

A combination of a wet trough in the west and a high pressure ridge south in the Tasman Sea will result in a wetter and cooler New Year’s period.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of potential large downpours. Rainfall modelling shows parts of northern Queensland could get more than 150mm over the next week.

Large parts of Queensland’s northern interior are on Monday set to receive up to 50mm, including Charters Towers to Winton.

5 days of water vapour satellite imagery show how recent active #monsoon activity across northern Aus has eased ⛈️➡️⛅

However, just because we're now in an inactive monsoon period does not rule out severe weather across the tropics.

Check warnings https://t.co/T2mbW1ICkT pic.twitter.com/hstqBTNqaF

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 25, 2020

Smaller pockets of heavy rain are expected around the northern coastal areas of Tully, Ingham and Townsville.

BOM Meteorologist Rosa Hoff said the trough will continue to deliver widespread rainfall for Queensland coastal communities into Wednesday, before tapering off.

“We’re expecting that (trough) activity to continue tomorrow and slowly spread down the east coast, with the best chance for showers around south east Queensland to be around Wednesday then lingering a bit on Thursday,” Ms Hoff said.

Heavy rain is expected along Queensland’s coast this week.

“In the central and northern interiors we’re forecasting between 20-50mm today, then tomorrow that drops down to about a 10-40mm range predicted.

“Those could bring higher isolated totals with falls of up to 70mm, around that mark.”

The trough will also bring about cooler temperatures, with Brisbane set for a maximum of 31C on Monday before dropping to 28C on Thursday and Saturday.

Similar conditions are expected around the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

🌈 A colourful map of 7 day rainfall totals, and more wet weather to come... Expecting showers and storms in the north to spread into the southwest on Monday then eastward through the week.
Latest rainfall observations and river conditions: https://t.co/TzCBS6ngKO pic.twitter.com/bo2qWBKsWI

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) December 26, 2020

“You’d be seeing around 20mm at the most in the southeast.” Ms Hoff said.

North Queensland will see warmer temperatures, with Cairns to reach 33C on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 32C on Thursday, Tuesday and Sunday.

It could get as hot as 42C in central Queensland later in the week.

NEW YEAR’S WEEK FORECAST

Brisbane

Monday: 10% chance

Tuesday: 30% chance, 0-2mm

Wednesday: 80% chance, 8-20mm

Thursday: 80% chance, 4-15mm

Friday: 60% chance, 1-6mm

Saturday: 60% chance, 1-6mm

Sunshine Coast

Monday: 20% chance

Tuesday: 70% chance, 4-15mm

Wednesday: 90% chance, 15-40mm

Thursday: 90% chance, 10-30mm

Friday: 50% chance, 1-10mm

Saturday: 40% chance, 0-4mm

Gold Coast

Monday: 10% chance

Tuesday: 30% chance, 0-1mm

Wednesday: 80% chance, 6-15mm

Thursday: 70% chance, 4-10mm

Friday: 70% chance, 2-8mm

Saturday: 60% chance, 1-6mm

Cairns

Monday: 90% chance

Tuesday: 80% chance, 8-20mm

Wednesday: 80% chance, 8-25mm

Thursday: 80% chance, 10-25mm

Friday: 80% chance, 10-25mm

Saturday: 80% chance, 6-15mm

Rockhampton

Monday: 30% chance

Tuesday: 80% chance, 8-20mm

Wednesday: 90% chance, 20-45mm

Thursday: 70% chance, 6-20mm

Friday: 50% chance, 0-10mm

Saturday: 50% chance, 0-10mm

Be dourie

Monday: 40% chance

Tuesday: 10% chance

Wednesday: 5% chance

Thursday: 10% chance

Friday: 10% chance

Saturday: 10% chance