Bureau of Meteorology issues new warning: Rain totals, road closures for Central Highlands as damaging winds and hail likely
People living in the Central Highlands have been urged to prepare for flash flooding as severe storms with heavy rainfall batter the already drenched region for the third day in a row.
Rockhampton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rockhampton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
People living in the Central Highlands have been urged to prepare for flash flooding as severe storms with heavy rainfall batter the already drenched region for the third day in a row.
At 2.16pm Thursday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a new severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Central and Southern Queensland with damaging winds, large hailstones, and heavy rainfall likely this afternoon.
The Central Highlands emergency dashboard shows more than 2000 Ergon customers remain without power across the region.
More than 51mm was recorded in the hour to 1pm at Glen Rock, southwest of Emerald, while 47mm was recorded in the 30 minutes to 11.30am at Stonewall, southeast of Collinsville.
Over the next few hours, severe thunderstorms with potential to produce damaging winds and hail are forecast for parts of the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts.
Locations which may be affected include Roma, Charleville, Emerald, St George, Croydon and Mungindi.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that residents should move cars under cover or away from trees, secure loose items, never drive through flood waters, seek shelter and beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
The latest warning comes after a woman in Central Queensland was pulled to safety in a dramatic rescue after her car became submerged in flood waters near Mackenzie River, as parts of the state prepared for further flooding as a sizeable rain band travels across the state.
Emergency services received the initial call at 7.17pm Wednesday but were unable to get to the woman until 9.48pm due to flooded roads.
A QAS spokeswoman said the woman attempted to drive through flood waters on Mount Stuart Bedford Weir Rd with her ute, before the vehicle began to sink.
The spokeswoman added that the stranded motorist was hanging on to the back of her vehicle for more than 90 minutes before rescue crews arrived.
QFES and SES enlisted the assistance of local mining company Gregory Mines to assist in the rescue with the use of their larger vehicle.
The woman was treated by paramedics at the scene, but was unable to be transported to hospital as emergency services had to wait for flood waters to recede.
Multiple roads, including parts of the Capricorn Highway, were closed across Central Queensland on Wednesday morning after a slow-moving weather system dumped huge amounts of rain.
The Central Highlands Regional Council on Wednesday evening warned residents flash flooding was occurring due to ongoing heavy rain and ‘more is still to come’.
“Gemfields residents are asked to understand their risks and prepare to enact their household emergency plans, with both Policeman Creek and Retreat Creek catchments already saturated,” the council said.
“Near Rolleston, the Dawson Highway is closed to all traffic at Panorama Creek due to water over the road.
“The Capricorn Highway east of Emerald is restricted to one lane at Winton Creek.
“More local road and highway closures are very likely.”
Flood cameras on the CHRC Emergency Management Dashboard showed flooding activity at Rubyvale and near Rolleston, with water creeping higher over bridges and roadways.
The Dashboard also showed unplanned power outages due to fallen powerlines and storm activity was impacting more than 1000 customers across Springsure, Emerald, Anakie, Anakie Siding, Bogantungan, Sapphire, Springsure, The Gemfields and Willows Gemfields.
A severe weather warning, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology at 4.45pm, was active late into the evening for Charleville, Emerald, Longreach, Clermont, Winton and Barcaldine with nearly 45mm recorded in 30 minutes at Upper Retreat Alert east of Emerald Wednesday afternoon.
“A slow moving low pressure system over South Australia is drawing in a deep, tropical air mass over Central Queensland. This is combining with a surface feature across the state to aid severe thunderstorms,” the Bureau warned.
“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.”
On Wednesday morning, Queensland Police advised the Capricorn Highway east of Emerald was closed to all traffic due to flooding and there was water over the road at Winton Creek and Corkscrew Creek at Emerald.
The Dawson Highway at Albinia was also closed due to flooding as well as Dawson Development Road and Spring Street at Springsure and Anakie Sapphire Road at The Gemfields.
While officially Emerald recorded its highest 24-hour total to Wednesday morning since 1994 at the town’s airport with 135.6mm, residents across the district reported isolated falls of more than 300mm in some areas.
Gemfields resident Mike Bryant shared on social media that he was forced to evacuate his mining claim overnight due to flooding.
He wrote that it started raining at the claim on Rifle Range Road at Sapphire Central at 7.30pm and he evacuated within two hours.
“Evacuated at 9.30pm, when the claim was under water to the height of the road that goes over the storm water pipe out the front,” Mr Bryant wrote on the Central Highlands Regional Council Facebook page.
“Most of the road was under water in both directions. (I) sat in 4WD, up the road, in front of the Rifle Range gates, where it’s a bit higher.
“The whole area is a stinky, muddy swamp.”
On the ‘Who Got the Rain’ Facebook page, one resident reported 315mm at Garden Creek west of Springsure from 6pm Tuesday while another said they tipped out 173mm in Springsure.
Official totals include 85.8mm at Blackwater Airport, 84.4mm at Clermont Airport, 77mm at Lochington, and 131mm at Springsure.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned more rain is on the way for most of Central Queensland throughout the rest of the week, with the chance of thunderstorms – potentially severe.
“A low pressure system over northeast South Australia extends a trough into western Queensland,” the Bureau said.
“The low pressure system and trough will track slowly eastwards over coming days, bringing a moist air mass and widespread showers and the risk of severe thunderstorms across much of Queensland as it does.
“A high in the Tasman Sea will maintain a ridge over eastern Queensland over the next few days as it slowly moves east.”
Central Highlands Regional Council has advised the wet weather has impacted some council services and assets.
Council advised that sections of the Emerald Botanic Gardens have been closed due to unsafe surfaces and water over footpaths, that delays can be expected for kerbside collection in Emerald and servicing of the Blackwater, Bluff and Duaringa waste management facilities and that Lochlees Road landfill is currently inaccessible due to water over the road.
Aussie rep to Australian Idol: Footy star’s new goals
Meet Rockhampton’s young Indigenous sports star, fresh from representing Australia at the World Cup, who is now aiming for a grand final finish on Australian Idol.
39 bags of drugs: CQ mum caught in police raid
Police seized 39 bags of drugs from a Central Queensland mum’s home but that wasn’t all they found in the raid.