Rainfall records tumble in spectacular deluge as region braces for more rain
Gillies Range Road has reopened after 500mm of rain bucketed down over Cairns in three days. The city has had a reprieve today with the heaviest showers falling in the southern parts of the Far North since 9am. WEATHER LATEST
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UPDATE 2.45PM: Gillies Range Road has reopened after rainfall eased across Cairns today, with the heaviest falls further south on the Cassowary Coast and Hinchinbrook areas.
Police closed the thoroughfare at 9am but confirmed the road had reopened at 2.20pm after crews were able to clear away debris blocking the road.
Closer to Yungaburra there is also a fallen tree blocking part of the road.
Just 10mm of rain has fallen at Gordonvale since 9am after 172mm in the preceding 24 hours.
In comparison, Cardwell Gap collected 97mm in five hours this morning while Bilyana had 72mm.
There is water over the road on the Bruce Highway in multiple locations between Ingham and Cardwell, including at Bemerside where just one lane is open on Seymour River Bridge.
The Far North’s spectacular deluge already delivered the lion’s share of our April monthly rainfall record (634mm at Cairns Airport set in 2006) in just 48 hours and forecasters warn more is on the way.
At 6pm last night 414.08mm had collected in the gauge at the airport since Sunday night, and in the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday 226mm had fallen.
Gordonvale collected 39mm in one hour this morning, with motorists reporting water across the road at the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Castlereagh St.
On Cairns’ northside, traffic was affected by a crash at the Holloways Beach roundabout.
About 9am paramedics were called to the Captain Cook Highway at the roundabout following reports of a single-vehicle rollover involving an SUV and a male patient.
Dunne Road at Yorkeys Knob is also closed due to water over the road. Traffic control is in place.
Cairns Regional Council has confirmed the Freshwater roundabout and Kamerunga Road at Ryan Weare are currently open.
Brinsmead Road is open under traffic control as Council removes the large stump left by the tree which fell yesterday afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a new flood watch stretching from Cooktown to Ingham and duty forecaster James Thompson said rain was set to continue for the next few days.
“We’re looking at showers across the north east tropics extending into the northern interior with daily rainfall totals of between 50mm and 150mm and the chance of isolated falls of more than 200mm,” he said.
“It is very unusual for April, we do see wet weather and our cyclone season extends to the end of April, but it is pretty rate to see half a metre of rain in April in Cairns.”
On Tuesday BOM forecaster Peter Markworth said more heavy showers were expected this week.
“There could be a slight easing (on Wednesday), as the trough moves offshore and we see increased activity towards Ingham and Townsville,” he said.
“But there is likely to be isolated heavy showers in the north tropical coast throughout Wednesday and Thursday.”
A 24-hour April rainfall record at the Cairns Airport alert of 144mm set on April 20, 2013 was smashed when 201mm collected in the gauge in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.
However a Cairns Airport spokeswoman said flights in and out operated smoothly and no incidents had been reported.
24-HOUR RAINFALL
Between 9am Tuesday and 9am Wednesday:
Saddle Mountain: 219mm
Kamerunga: 166mm
Cairns Airport Alert: 226mm
Cairns Racecourse: 142mm
Mulgrave Mill: 197mm
Peet’s Bridge: 144mm
The Boulders: 225mm
Rankin Creek: 141mm
Tully: 188mm
Cardwell Gap: 184mm
ROADS
Far North Acting Chief Supt Chris Hodgman said people had been driving to the conditions and were patient.
“I would encourage this to keep going because we’ve probably got a couple more days of this to come,” he said.
“Please take heed of road closures and don’t drive through flooded roads.
“We know how quickly conditions can change and how fast waterways can rise in the Far North and I would urge everyone to remain vigilant behind the wheel.
CURRENTLY CLOSED
Bruce Highway, Gairloch
Peet’s Bridge, Goldsborough
Dunne Rd, Yorkeys Knob
Mossman-Mt Molloy Rd, Bushy Creek
Mossman Gorge Rd, due to road damage
Upper Daintree Rd
OTHER HAZARDS
Culvert damage near Brown St on Mulgrave Rd at Bungalow has resulted in the speed limit being reduced to 40kph with all lanes affected in both directions and delays expected, according to the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
Expect delays on the Captain Cook Highway at Palm Cove due to potholes near Bokissa Road.
A large pothole near Streets Creek on the Kennedy Highway near Kuranda is also affecting both lanes and there are rocks on the road on the highway at MacAlister Range, with lanes reduced eastbound toward Smithfield.
BUSINESSES
Palms Cairns homeware store and cafe staff member Tiara Seccombe said she was enjoying the weather that was “good for ducks and trees”.
“I know normally we have a wet Easter, and then it usually clears up but the last few days have been especially wet,” the born and bred Cairns local said.
Ms Seccombe said the rain or flooding hadn’t impacted her store, but she’d noticed customers for coffee were certainly staying a lot longer.
“They’re in no hurry to get back in the rain, and it’s the kind of weather for coffee. A lot of people are asking for their coffees to be extra hot.
“There hasn’t been too much flooding around here, it’s seemed to all move on OK. It’s cooled everything down though, I think it’s beautiful weather.”
Originally published as Rainfall records tumble in spectacular deluge as region braces for more rain
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