Queensland communities warned to prepare for major flooding as severe weather system builds
The extreme weather system gripping Queensland at the moment has caused widespread damage across the state’s southwest. It comes after a 340mm deluge overnight and warnings of another three days of torrential rain and potential flooding.
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Homes have been damaged as the extreme weather event gripping large parts of Queensland triggered severe storms this afternoon.
Ergon Energy is reporting widespread power outages in and around Roma after storms slammed into the state’s southwest, causing wind gusts of nearly 100km/h.
“This pole at Roma had little chance of staying up when you look at the damage to the house in the background,” Ergon Energy posted on Facebook.
An Energex spokesman said storm activity in the southwest has caused “significant damage to the network.”
“There are around 3500 homes in Roma without power,” he said.
It comes after Queensland was hit with widespread downpours, triggering flash flooding and closing the Bruce Hwy in Central Queensland.
Clusters of slow-moving showers and thunderstorms capable of heavy rainfall rolled through the Wide Bay and Burnett and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts, but further north, staggering rainfall of 340mm in 15 hours was recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Some areas have already received their highest rainfall totals in 10 years.
Queensland Rail has reported multiple track washouts north of Rockhampton overnight while there are reports two vehicles and a prime mover became trapped in floodwaters.
At Goodna west of Brisbane, there is water over multiple roads as downstream rainfall and a 19.94m high tide floods waterways.
With Goodna Creek at Collingwood Park recording a rising tide of 19.94m at 1.51pm, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services would like to remind people “if it’s flooded forget it”.
“At the moment we do have storms over the Central Coast and Whitsundays, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West and Maranoa and Warrego Forecast Districts,” Ms Reid said.
“So for the southeast we only have one over the New South Wales border near the northern rivers.”
“The action is more north west”.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are active for large parts of southern, central and western Queensland with BOM warning of 150mm rainfall totals possible in just six hours.
Damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding are all possible.
Currently at Goodna @BOM_Qldpic.twitter.com/5q5m1LfHPq
— SEQUEST (@SEQUESTRADIO) November 10, 2021
BOM rainfall figures show Samuel Hill on the Capricorn Coast received 340.8mm from 9am on Tuesday, while 110.4mm fell at Williamson and 54.2mm at Yeppoon.
There was flash flooding recorded between Yaamba and Marlborough as the systems passed through, while the Bruce Highway was reopened about 11pm.
But Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Helen Reid said the worst of the weather is yet to come, as Queensland was placed on high alert for major flooding as a severe weather system is set to deliver three months’ rain over just a three-day period.
“Today we’re looking at smaller rainfall totals than yesterday, we didn’t get much yesterday,” Ms Reid said on Wednesday morning.
“We expect thunderstorms coming through but tomorrow is the big day”.
Ms Reid said the system will move through and bring giant rainfall totals on Thursday.
“It will be a much wetter day tomorrow and easing off Friday,” she said.
“Looking at sunshine this weekend, the system should move through, so it’s going to build up Friday moving through and by Saturday it should be cleared”.
24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS:
Samuel Hill 341mm
The Glen 162mm
Byfield 151mm
Marlborough Creek 137mm
Marlborough helipad 103mm
Splitters Creek 90mm
Stillers Road 79mm
Bucca Weir 71mm
Arcadia Valley School 56mm
Yeppoon 54mm
Rainbow Beach recorded 54mm
LATEST WARNINGS
At 10am the Bureau of Meteorology issued a Strong Wind Warning for the following areas: Fraser Island Coast, Sunshine Coast Waters and Gold Coast Waters.
At 9.06am, the Bureau issued a severe weather warning for people in Darling Downs and Granite Belt and parts of Maranoa and Warrego forecast districts, saying six-hourly rainfall totals between 50 and 100mm are likely in many localities within the warning area
“Severe thunderstorms may also develop and produce localised intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, with six-hourly rainfall totals exceeding 150mm possible,” the warning said.
“Thunderstorms may also produce localised areas of damaging to destructive winds.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has also issued a warning for major flooding for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions including Goondiwindi.
It is warning that some parts of Queensland could receive three times their average November rainfall over the next three days.
The areas most at risk are close to the NSW border.
Goondiwindi, 220km southwest of Toowoomba, is forecast to get 25mm of rain Wednesday, 100mm on Thursday and another 20mm on Friday.
Brisbane is set for 15mm on Wednesday, 30mm on Thursday and another 25mm on Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood watch for southwest and southern Queensland, with major flooding likely for those areas.
âš ï¸ #Flood Watch has been issued for south west and southern Queensland. Major flooding likely for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt region including #Goondiwindi . Follow the advice of local emergency services @QldFES See Warnings for updates: pic.twitter.com/gl5ArwzMt7
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 9, 2021
A complex low pressure system is expected to develop over Central Australia over the next few days, causing an outbreak of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall in southern Queensland.
The risk of heavy rainfall will gradually move eastwards over this period.
Parts of the region are already wet following recent rainfall with further showers and thunderstorms over the next few days expected to saturate most catchments.
Heavy rainfall is expected from late Wednesday with the heaviest rainfall expected across the Darling Downs and Granite Belt region on Thursday.
“Very intense rainfall rates” are possible for some areas particularly in association with thunderstorms likely to cause “localised flooding”.
River level rises in the Granite Belt and Darling Downs region are expected from Wednesday with major flooding possible from Thursday.
Widespread minor flooding is likely to begin across the remainder of the area from as early as Thursday with further rises expected in association with heavier areas of rainfall.
CATCHMENTS ON FLOOD ALERT
- Condamine Rivers
- Macintyre River
- Weir River
- Moonie River
- Balonne River
- Wallam and Mungallala Creeks
- Warrego River (QLD)
- Paroo River (QLD)
- The Big Warrambool River
- Bulloo River (QLD)
- Barcoo River
- Thomson River
- Cooper Creek
- Diamantina River
- Georgina River and Eyre Creek
- Simpson Desert
It comes as severe storm warnings are activated for the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands and Wide Bay and Burnett districts on Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is possible over the next several hours
âš ï¸â›ˆï¸ Severe thunderstorm #warning update: new area in the North Tropical Coast for heavy rainfall including #Atherton. Details and updates: https://t.co/CinugnxqkNpic.twitter.com/5AagwEEdXY
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 9, 2021
Other locations which may be affected include Bundaberg, Atherton and Gin Gin.
“Heavy rainfall is most likely to affect areas where repeated thunderstorm cells move over the same location,” BOM warns.
“Severe thunderstorms are also likely to produce damaging winds over the next several hours in parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts.”
RAINFALL FORECAST
Goondiwindi – 25mm Wednesday, 100mm Thursday, 20mm Friday
Brisbane – 15mm Wednesday, 40mm Thursday, 25mm Friday
Warwick – 15mm Wednesday, 80mm Thursday, 60mm Friday
Stanthorpe – 15mm Wednesday, 80mm Thursday, 40mm Friday
St George – 15mm Wednesday, 60mm Thursday, 4mm on Friday
Dalby – 15mm Wednesday, 35mm Thursday, 30mm Friday
Toowoomba – 10mm Wednesday, 45mm Thursday, 25mm Friday.
Ipswich – 15mm Wednesday, 45mm Thursday, 25mm Friday
Gold Coast – 10mm Wednesday, 35mm Thursday, 35mm Friday.
Sunshine Coast – 10mm Wednesday, 15mm Thursday 15mm Friday
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