Temperatures drop below average, more rain on the way

Temperatures plunged well below average on Sunday, as parts of the state brace for heavy rain and potential storms midweek. SEE THE FORECAST

Finn Morton and Duncan Murray

2 min read

October 2, 2022 - 3:26PM

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Temperatures have plunged to well below the October average, dropping to as much as 12 degrees in some places.

Senior meteorologist Felim Hanniffy said Ipswich and Gatton were both significantly colder than normal.

“For the South East, (temperatures were) ranging anywhere from six to eight (degrees below average), somewhere there’s even 12 below average ... pretty cold for what you’d expect for October,” Mr Hanniffy said.

“Ipswich is 11 degrees below average, Gatton as well 11 degrees below average. Brisbane was nine degrees below average.

“Well below average, much of the South East again due to the fact that the showers and that extensive cloud cover.”

He said the cloud cover over the region was starting to break up around 2.45pm.

Conditions are expected to clear up on Monday but heavy rains and storms are forecast for inland areas mid-week.

Mr Hanniffy said that while it won’t be “totally blue” skies on Monday, Queenslanders can expect some better weather for the public holiday.

“Probably in the morning it will start off pretty sunny but if you’re near the South East coast, (you’ll) probably get some afternoon clouds developing again but nowhere near as showery as we saw over the weekend,” Mr Hanniffy said.

“I would say in terms of the long weekend overall, Monday is the best day of the weekend with lighter winds and a lot less showers.

“Just maybe some isolated showers clipping the more exposed coastal fringes.

“Tomorrow, still on the cooler side with brighter conditions and then temperatures slowly recovering tomorrow and recovering a little bit further on Tuesday.”

Heavy rainfall drenched parts of the state over the last week, with the Southern Darling Downs having been hit with more isolated falls overnight Saturday.

Areas around the South East generally received up to 15 millimeters of rain, with Mr Hanniffy calling it a “very showery 24 hours”.

“That shower activity is still around at the moment, (we) did have some early morning thunderstorm activity, but it is on a weakening trend,” he said Sunday morning.

“During the second half there, probably during this evening, we’ll see conditions stabilise. So for areas that saw showers, there’s probably a slow improvement as we go into Sunday afternoon.”

While Mr Hanniffy said there should be a “general improvement” in the South East throughout the week, other parts of the state are in the firing line of storms.

Sky News Weather presenter Alison Osborne said it was “going to be a dramatic start to October for the entire country”, with heavy rainfall moving across Australia expected to bring renewed flood risk to parts of some eastern states including Queensland.

The rainfall is moving quickly across the country, caused by two significant weather systems dragging moisture from the Indian Ocean.

The rainfall will reach South Australia from Monday and by Wednesday, Queensland, NSW and northern Victoria will be “in the firing line of widespread heavy rain and thunderstorms,” Ms Osborne said.

The Kimberley region, southern inland Queensland and inland NSW are tipped to see the biggest drenching on Wednesday night with rainfall totals possibly in excess of 100mm.

“We’re talking an area that is already under significant flood threat – the water table is absolutely waterlogged so heavy rainfall could lead to increased downstream flows and flooding,” Ms Osborne explained.

The eased rain is expected to reach the east coast by Thursday.