NQ thunderstorm warning cancelled after massive overnight falls

Ayr received a dump of rain in the wee hours of Monday, but severe thunderstorm and flash flooding warnings for NQ have been cancelled.

A severe thunderstorm warning in place for the Townsville area has been cancelled on Monday morning.

The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning on Sunday afternoon, including a possibility of flash flooding for the Lower Burdekin.

About 6.30am on Monday, the bureau cancelled the warning as the heaviest rain had now shifted offshore.

Many people in the area would have heard the rain and thunder on Monday morning between 2am-3:30am

Mt Bohle recorded 95mm of rain, Louisa Creek had 89mm and Ayr tallied 97mm in one hour.

A tweet from the Bureau of Meteorology.

A Townsville City Council spokesman said the council had not been called out for any weather-related incidents.

Bureau meteorologist Livio Regano said the nearly-150mm of rain at Ayr this morning fell within one hour, which was “very, very intense” and unusual for this time of year.

“You just don’t get that in April.”

The storm had nothing to do with Cyclone Ilsa, which hit Western Australia and went into the Northern Territory last week, Mr Regano said.

Monday morning’s rain was a southeast change pushing up the coast, he said, which hit the hot tropical air mass around Townsville.

The storm would push north later on Monday and weaken near Cairns, Mr Regano said.

Originally published as NQ thunderstorm warning cancelled after massive overnight falls