Southeast Queensland water storage the lowest it has been heading into summer in five years

Dr Christa Pudmenzky discusses this weekend's rainy forecast and looks in depth at the southeast Queensland water grid.

Southeast Queensland's water catchment is currently 57 per cent full, down 3 per cent from this time last year. Cape Moreton, 10 December 2020, Source: Monash University.

Moreton Bay is in for a cooler but sticky weekend, Friday to Sunday temperatures will be in the low-20s, with high humidity and significant rain forecast all weekend.

Brisbane received 208.6mm of rain this spring, just above the long-term average of 198.1mm.

But total rainfall is still below average, in line with Brisbane's drying trend.

The region's total water storage is down 3 per cent when compared to water levels last year.

However, the next three months are forecast to be wetter than average, owing to La Nina conditions.

Did you know?

The SEQ Water Grid stretches over 600km to connect 65 different dams, 13 different water treatment plants, the Gold Coast Desalination Plant and the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme.

The Wivenhoe Dam, one hour northwest of Brisbane, holds most of this water and is the main supply for Brisbane and Greater Ipswich.

Southeast Queensland's water is fed by a vast series of rivers across the region.

This means that the SEQ Water Grid can be affected by rainfall that occurs hundreds of kilometres away.

The current La Nina conditions might help recharge soil moisture and fill up the dams in local catchment areas.

Voices from your community

The SEQ Water Grid was a response to the Millennium Drought from 2001 to 2010.

Sunnybank Hills resident Alan Lane said while Brisbane was affected, the impact was worse in other areas of the state.

He also said the seasons had definitely changed.

"Summers are hotter and longer, winters are warmer,'' he said.

"When I arrived in Australia in 1989 every summer would be similar; hot, humid and huge thunderstorms most afternoons... that no longer occurs on a regular basis."

Community voices like Alan's tell us how residents and business owners in Brisbane feel about their local climate. If you would like to contribute your voice to our column, you can fill out our 5-minute survey here.

Dr Christa Pudmenzky is a climate scientist at the University of Southern Queensland.

This column is part of a collaboration between Monash University and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.

Questions? You can email us at [e-mail]