Wettest day in 83 years: Record rain brings relief for ‘desperate’ Queensland farmers

After barely a sprinkle in the wet season, “literally desperate” farmers are cheering after more than 200mm of rain fell in parts of western Queensland overnight.

Record-breaking rain has provided relief for “desperate” farmers in parts of western Queensland who were nearing the end of the wet season with barely a sprinkle.

Longreach had its wettest day since 1989 with the Bureau of Meteorology recording 109mm in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning while farm rain gauges have caught even more remarkable records.

A huge weight lifted off Marcelle Chandler’s shoulders on Tuesday when she poured 208mm of rain from the gauge – the highest daily total recorded at her merino sheep station in 83 years.

Ms Chandler, from Home Creek, began selling off sheep in recent weeks like many farmers around Barcaldine, Longreach and Winton who had grown “literally desperate” for rain.

“It’s hard to describe what it means to us because it sets you up with stock feed trough winter, it’s general rainfall that we haven’t seen in the area for eight to 10 years, and financially we don’t have to buy in hay or fodder to feed our stock,” Ms Chandler said.

“We don’t have to make those decisions about whether to hang on to our stock or ask ourselves what we should do.

“It’s a huge relief mentally, physically and financially.”

Queensland Helicopters captured the fallout of Longreach's largest rain totals since 1989. Picture: Queensland Helicopters

Longreach Mayor Tony Rayner said the wet season prior to this week had been non-existent and most residents had given up hope.

He said the sentiment among farmers was if they hadn’t had rain by Anzac Day, they were in for a tough drought.

The skies opened at the eleventh hour and despite some damage to roads and infrastructure the drenching rain was predominantly viewed as a positive.

“The way in which the rain fell over the whole three-to-four day event was nice, slow and soaking rain which allows the ground to absorb the moisture,” Cr Rayner said.

Longreach farmers are cheering after the downpour. Picture: Queensland Helicopters

“That in turn gets a better response from the pastures.

“It’s great for tourism, it’s great for agriculture and in turn it helps the businesses in local towns.”

Cr Rayner said council teams and contractors had been working from dawn until dark, clearing fallen trees and getting roads open where they can ahead of a major rodeo event this weekend.

BOM meteorologist Helen Reid said the wet season had been hit-and-miss for large parts of Queensland with a focus on the state’s south.

She said the rainfall recorded at Longreach on Tuesday morning was the highest daily total since April 6, 1989 when 184mm fell on the town.

The bureau has issued major, moderate and minor flood warnings across parts of western, central and northern Queensland.

Given the area around Longreach is relatively flat, Ms Reid said it could take a while for the water to recede.

“We do still have a couple of rivers where the head waters are still rising just as that rainfall gets into the rivers themselves, and then downstream it will take several weeks to work its way over the border,” she said.

“The wet weather has completely dissipated.”

“We’re not looking to have anything through the central west at all on Thursday.”

The heavy rain was caused by a surface trough in the west drawing moisture from the coast.